The Four Guardians
by Extika
Summary: After being usurped from their positions in the Jijie Family, Yang Jin-Wei and Moriyama Sai make their way to Namimori, Japan to search for the new Four Guardians. Fortunately or unfortunately, they meet the Vongola Family, which seems to host people who are even more eccentric than themselves.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR; Amano Akira does.**

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Prologue

_Somewhere in the Underground of China, a young boss sits anxiously at a bamboo desk, eyes closed and chin resting on open palms. He's waiting for his most trusted advisor, known as the Azure Dragon, who will bring him news of his situation. The young man can hear the commotion right outside his door, and his brow furrows. He is sure that his subordinates still loyal to him are dying for his sake._

_The door suddenly bursts open. The Azure Dragon rushes in with a tight grip around the hilts of two bloody hook blades. With him is the Black Tortoise, who's grasping a wounded arm and a gun._

_"What news do you bring?" the boss asks them._

_"Sir! It's no good! They've found us and are heading out way right now!" the wounded boy reports. "Nearly all of the units have been wiped out."_

_"How are the other Guardians faring?" inquires his boss. The Black Tortoise lowers his head, gritting his teeth. He doesn't even have to say a word for the young man to understand him. "What of Miyo? Was she able to escape?"_

_"From what I've heard, she has," replies the Azure Dragon, giving his boss a small smile._

_"That is a relief."_

_"Sir, we must leave"/"We've got to get outta here, boss!"_

_"I understand." The young boss rises to his feet right as an enemy bursts into the room with a gun. In a flash and bang, the Tortoise is falling backwards to the cold, unforgiving earth. The Azure Dragon wastes not even a second. As fast as the first man, he aims for the head, killing the man with a single shot. By the end of the scuffle, two corpses lie on the ground, warmth slowly leaving their bodies, crimson blood seeping out of their wounds. Glancing at his boss, the Azure Dragon curses. The young man's eyes have stretched into giant saucers in shock, quaking rapidly._

_The boss drops to his knees, clamping his eyes shut from the sight. Silently, he gently covers the Tortoise's body with his coat. Finally, when he opens his eyes, his usually dark eyes have turned a pure golden hue._

_"Those cowards!" he cries out. He starts for the door, but the Azure Dragon restrains his arms and keeps him from leaving. It's difficult, though, because the young man is using _that_ power._

_"Calm down, boss!"_

_"I'll kill them all!" The boss continues to scream. "They want me to come to them? Fine! I will! But not before destroying every last one of them!" The Azure Dragon continues to hold back his boss's arms. Realizing that his boss won't stop struggling, he bashes his head into his boss's, stunning him._

_"Don't lose yourself, boss!" he roars. "Killing yourself won't change a thing! Focus on getting out for now. If any of the others could hear what you're saying, they'd never forgive you…"_

_Without saying another world, the Azure Dragon grabs his stunned boss's hand and drags him over to one of the shelves. He glances at his boss before pulling out an ancient book from the bookshelves behind him. It slides open, though it creaks as if it had never been used. A long, narrow passageway reveals itself. "Never thought we'd have to use this, but we don't have any choice now."_

_The Azure Dragon and his boss sprint through the pathway until they reach an outdoor corridor. A small helicopter stands before them, ready to take off. The boss enters the passenger door as his subordinate takes the controls. Enemies approach them then, but they're too late. Wind whips throughout the area, blowing them away. Those that aren't attempt to shoot the flying machine down, but they all miss. Eventually, the helicopter and its passengers disappear into the distance._

_"Where to, boss?" the Azure Dragon asks, his voice a whisper. When his boss doesn't answer, he glances at the second seat. His boss sits there, his eyes closed once again, lost in his thoughts. A single tear slides down a pale cheek. "Boss?"_

_"Please do not refer to me as your boss any longer," orders the young boss. The Azure Dragon begins to object, but his boss only raises a hand to stop him. "We have been usurped from within; I have been overthrown; all of my guardians except you have been killed. A disgrace. That is what I am. Allowing my own men to die by the hands of others. I have no right to be in charge."_

_The Azure Dragon's fists suddenly grab hold of the boss's shirt. "Get a hold of yourself, boss!" he growls. "Where do you think you'd be if none of us thought you were rightly in charge? That's right! You'd be dead, buried in the ground." His grip loosens. "But there are still some of us out there who see you as our boss. That's why…that's why you can't give up yet, boss. We still have a chance for a comeback. We just need more people, that's all. But it seems like you're stuck with me for now, boss."_

_"…" The boss smiles under his shadowed eyes. Then he chuckles softly, taking the Azure Dragon by surprise. "That is all I needed to hear. Thank you."_

_"Stupid boss…"_

_The two suddenly realize that no one's controlling the helicopter and they start to plummet._

_"The controls!" shouts the Golden Dragon._

_ "I know, boss!" replies the Azure Dragon. Hurriedly, he steadies the transport, and the two exhale deep breaths. After a few more minutes of aimless flying, he decides to ask. "Where to, boss?"_

_His boss thinks about it for a moment. Closing his eyes, a hand raises self-consciously before pointing southeast. "Japan," he finally decides. "Namimori, Japan, specifically. That is where we shall meet our new companion."_

_"Very well, boss."_

_Watching them from the platform the two have just left from stands yet another young man, this one smirking as the helicopter flits away, running away. Men run up behind him, asking him what his orders are._

_"Dispatch some agents to…dispose of the previous boss," he replies before laughing maniacally._

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A/N: So this is the first fanfiction I've posted...Every time I've tried posting something, I'd get all nervous and take it off within a few hours. Hopefully, I'll be able to get over my weird fear of other people reading what I write. I'm kind of new at this, so any kind of constructive criticism is appreciated, whether it's about grammar or plot.

I'm not sure how this prologue is, if it's too cheesy or or if it's okay.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Namimori

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR; Amano Akira does.**

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Chapter 1: Namimori

Today is just another normal day in Namimori. Or, at least, as normal as it could be. In his two-story house, Tsuna, a second-year student with wild chocolate brown hair and caramel eyes, sleeps soundly but messily in his bed. An infant wearing a black suit and fedora wrapped with an orange band. A bright yellow pacifier hangs around his neck while a green chameleon rests on the brim of his hat. Beady black eyes focus outside the window, as if seeing into the future.

"Tsu-kun!" a motherly voice calls from downstairs. "Get up or you'll be late!"

The baby stares at Tsuna, irritated the boy doesn't wake up. "Oi, Tsuna," he squeaks. "Tsuna!" Snores are the only reply he receives. His fedora shadowing his eyes, the infant smirks. With a flying leap, he slams his heel into Tsuna's soft cheek.

"It hurts! It hurts!" the brunette cries, tumbling out of the bed. A hand to his reddened check, he exclaims, "W-what's going on? Reborn?"

"Dame-Tsuna," the infant replies. "It's won't be your tutor's fault if you're late for school."

In a flash, Tsuna scrambles out of bed and tear off his pajamas, putting on a school uniform – a navy blue sweater vest over a plain dress shirt and tie with olive green pants – instead. He sprints out of his bedroom and to the stairwell, only to trip on his own two feet and tumbled down the stairs to the bottom where his mother is waiting with a plate of toast.

"Later, Mom!" Tsuna shouts behind him as he snatches a piece of toast and his school bag. Out of nowhere, Reborn is sitting on Tsuna's shoulder. He sprints out the door, nearly running into two other students, one tall with tan skin and short black hair, the other having medium-length silver hair and fierce green eyes.

"Ah, good morning, Juudaime!" the silver-haired teen shouts.

"Morning, Tsuna," adds the other.

"Oh! Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaims. "Hiiieee! We're going to be late! Hibari-san will bite us to death!"

"I'm so sorry, Juudaime!" Gokudera apologizes while pounding his head on the stone pathway leading to the house. He glares at Yamamoto. "This baseball-freak slowed me down!"

Yamamoto just laughs. Tsuna can't help but smile along. Just a few days ago, the trio had fought for their lives in an all-out battle against the Varia, the Vongola Family's assassination squad. One would think that the experience would leave the friends out of it, but instead, they feel stronger than ever. Although, for the moment, Tsuna is just glad that he wasn't the only one to face Hibari's wrath.

Abruptly, he freezes in on spot. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Reborn turn to him quickly, worried.

"What's wrong, No-Good Tsuna?" Reborn asks him. Tsuna can't put his finger on it, but he feels like something's going to happen soon. Seeing the others are waiting for a response, he chuckles nervously.

"I-it's nothing, everyone," he replies, waving his hands around frantically. As he continues to walk, the other three glance at each other uncertainly. Reborn jumps off and begins walking away. "Um…Reborn?"

"There's something I want to check out," the tutor tells him.

They make it inside the school's gates seconds before the bell rings, but Tsuna collides with a looming figure. Noticing the red armband, Tsuna begins to panic.

"H-Hibari-san!" he stammers. "Um-um-um…"

Hibari just glares at them. "Hn, herbivore," he growls.

"Don't you insult the Juudaime!" Gokudera rages, starting to take out his dynamite.

"Now, now, Gokudera. Calm down," Yamamoto tries to diffuse the conversation.

"You won't be destroying the school anymore. I'll bite you to death, herbivores." It's not an empty threat, but a fact. Bowing quickly, Tsuna flees to the safety of the school, closely followed by Gokudera and Yamamoto.

Inside their classroom, all of the students are conversing among themselves, which isn't uncommon for middle school. The trio walks over to an orange-haired girl with bright eyes and her sarcastic friend. Blushing, Tsuna greets them.

"Morning, Kyoko-chan and…Hana-san," he says cheerfully.

"Good morning, Tsuna-kun," replies the orange-haired girl, Kyoko. Just seeing her cheerful smile brightens Tsuna's mood. He's had a crush on her since they were little, but, unfortunately, he can't seem to gather up his courage to confess to her.

"This is a surprise, Dame Tsuna," the friend, Hana, remarks. "You're pretty early."

"Stupid girl!" Gokudera shouts at her. "The Juudaime is so smart, he doesn't need to come to school early! You all should be honored for him to—"

"Gokudera-kun, please be quiet," Tsuna pleads, embarrassed. Though he figures he should be used to it by now.

"Anyway, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko speaks up, "have you heard? There's going to be two new transfer students coming in today," she tells the trio.

"Really?" remarks Yamamoto. He laughs. "I wonder what they're like."

"Stupid baseball-freak!" Gokudera frowns menacingly. "What if they're actually assassins sent here to kill the Juudaime? I, Juudaime's right-hand man, shall protect him from anyone that dares to harm Juudaime!"

"Gokudera-kun…" Tsuna looks at him in embarrassment, knowing Gokudera will do just as he says. Before they can continue talking, however, the teacher enters. All of the students take their seats right then.

"I'm sure you've all heard that two transfer students will be joining our class today," the teacher announces. As if on cue, the class begins whispering to themselves. Silence falls over the room, though, when two students enter the room.

The first is a tall and lanky boy with long black hair, most of it tied back into a ponytail and the rest as a wide strand covering the right side of his face. He wears the standard school uniform – a navy jacket over a plain dress shirt and tie, and olive-green pants. Bandages wrap around his forearm up to his knuckles. Obsidian eyes curl upwards just slightly, and are outlined with golden paint. He smiles at the class in a gentlemanly way, causing several of the girls to swoon. To Tsuna's horror, Kyoko is included.

"It is a pleasure to be here," he says. His voice is as smooth as honey. "I am Yang Jin Wei. Please take care of me."

The second boy has a different air to him. He wears thin-rimmed glasses before hard, gray-blue eyes; his navy blue hair of medium length curls on the ends in every direction. There are three circular marks under his right eye, and numerous piercings line his ears. He doesn't smile, nor does he frown as he stands just behind Jin. His version of the school uniform consists of a sweater vest over a dress shirt, the rest being the same as Jin's.

"Name's Moriyama Sai," he states. And nothing more.

Strange rings don their fingers, Tsuna notices. On Jin's is a band made of gold, molded into the shape of a dragon curled up. Sai wears a ring similar to Jin's, but his 'dragon' has blue gemstones for eyes rather than gold.

"Thank you, you two," the teacher tells them. "Yang-san, you can go sit behind Sawada-san. Sawada-san, please raise your hand to show Yang-kun his seat. Moriyama-san, please sit in that desk near the window."

"What?" Sai suddenly exclaims. "I demand to sit next to—" He abruptly stops. Only Tsuna seems to notice Jin's smile turn into a frown as he looks at his friend. But his frown is gone as quickly as it came. "Very well."

The two take their seats. As Jin walks past, he and Tsuna meet each other's gaze for a split second before he sits down. As the rest of the class period passes, Tsuna can sense the boy staring at his back. _What the heck?_ he wonders. _Is this going to end up like when Gokudera came?_

Even by lunchtime, when Tsuna and his friends eat on the roof of the school, the uneasy sensation has not gone yet. Their topic of discussion, of course, is the two new students.

"Those two guys looked like good people," says Yamamoto with a laugh. "Why don't we ask them to join our game of mafia?"

"Idiot baseball-freak!" Gokudera promptly yelled at him. "We still don't know a thing about those suspicious guys, and now you want them to join the Juudaime's Family? Are you an even bigger idiot than I thought?"

The two begin to argue, much to Tsuna's distress. He leans back onto the chain-link fence that surrounds the roof, sighing. He honestly doesn't know what to think about Jin and Sai. That look Jin gave Sai earlier, spiked Tsuna's Hyper Intuition – Jin definitely has authority over Sai somehow. Just who are these guys? Shaking the thoughts out of his mind, he continues to eat his lunch, a bento Haru, a costume fanatic, made for him. At that moment, the door leading to the roof opens, and the students in question walk through. Noticing the roof is already occupied, Jin stops Sai as the trio looks at them.

"Er…sorry for interrupting," Sai tells them, bowing slightly. He slams his fist straight down onto Jin's head without holding back. "This idiot here had to get himself chased by girls."

Jin laughs apologetically, reminding Tsuna of how Yamamoto is at times. "You know I cannot help that I was born with such beauty," he teases. As if to prove it, he swishes his slick hair to and fro, much to the exasperation of Sai and the disbelief of the others. _…_, is all Tsuna can think.

"Enough of that, however," Jin says abruptly, shocking the others once more. _It's like he has two different personalities! _thinks Tsuna. "We never properly introduced ourselves to one another." Walking up to Tsuna, Jin extends a bandaged hand and shakes the brunette's shamelessly. "Yang Jin Wei, at your service. This is my friend, Moriyama Sai."

"U-uh, I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna." Tsuna gestures to his friends. "These are Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Don't you dare touch the Juudaime in such a familiar way!" Gokudera shouts furiously at Jin. Yamamoto just laughs.

"Come on, Gokudera," he says, "they're just introducing themselves." Smiling at Jin and Sai, he adds, "Good to meet you! If you have a chance, you should come check out our baseball team."

"I'll consider it," Jin replies politely, though Tsuna knows he probably won't.

Several minutes later, they are all lunching together as if they've been friends for a long time (although, Gokudera keeps glaring at them once in a while).

"So where did you guys move here from?" asks Tsuna. Sai and Jin glance at each other in such a way that Tsuna only barely catches it. He immediately knows the two are hiding something.

"China," they finally agree. _What kind of answer is that?_ Tsuna thinks. Abruptly, he starts, and Gokudera notices, and catches the others' attention.

"What's wrong, Juudaime?"

Before his boss can answer, something tiny whizzes towards them before skipping to a halt on the tiled roof. They all stare at it, a silver pellet the size of coin rests there. For a moment, they don't know what to do, until Gokudera, sniffing the air, orders, "Get down, Juudaime!" Taking his warning to heart, all of them dive away from the foreign item. And not a moment too soon.

A thunderous _kabloom!_ shakes the entire building, shattering the ground and causing voluminous smoke to engulf the area. As it clears, Jin and Sai realize the position they're in. Instinctively, Sai pushed Jin to the ground, covering him from the explosion. They quickly get to their feet, hoping the others didn't notice. Warily, they wait for whatever's next. Tsuna and his family, reaching for their weapons, pause as they remember that Jin and Sai are watching them. _We have to get them out of here,_ Tsuna knows.

Jin catches sight of Sai tensing and reaching for concealed weapons. Mouthing the word "no" to him, Sai quickly stops. Jin grabs his arm and begins pulling his friend back to the rooftop's door.

"We're out of here!" Jin shouts. Behind him, he calls, "You guys must escape as well!" Though he knows they won't be going anywhere for now. As they sprint through the door, it suddenly clatters shut behind them. Sai grabs Jin's shoulders somewhat roughly.

"What were you thinking, boss?" he demands. "Why did you leave those guys out there without backup?"

"Calm down, Sai," Jin says calmly, though he's secretly seething. Even if Sai hasn't realized it yet, Jin knows that this attack isn't by chance. Creaking open the door slightly, he gestures for Sai to come over. "Tsunayoshi-kun, Gokudera-kun, and Yamamoto-kun are more than capable to deal with this…slight problem. Let's just watch for now."

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**7/10/12: First off, I hope none of the characters are OOC, and that my OC's aren't too generic or weird. -_-' Please bear with the cliché-ish beginning, as I know many KHR fanfics start off like this. As far as I know, there won't be any pairings among the main cast because I'm terrible at romantic scenes.**

**Again, please comment to tell me how I'm doing.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	3. Sudden Attack

**Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn and its characters belong to Amano Akira.**

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Chapter 2: Sudden Attack

As the smoke finally clears, the Vongola trio finally spots their enemy. A duo stands in a menacing stance, both wielding extended spears. Goggles mask their eyes, but Tsuna flinches at the glares from them. The shorter one of the two has slicked back white hair, concealed by an elegant black cloak with white trim. Tsuna can sense a bloodthirsty aura coming from the guy and starts. The second appears to be subordinate to the first, but that doesn't make him any less menacing. Apparently realizing who the students are or are not, they glance at each other, whispering something in a foreign language.

"Step aside, kids," one of them finally orders. "We have no quarrel with you as of now."

"Like hell you do!" Gokudera shouts back, dynamites appearing suddenly between his knuckles. At the same time, Yamamoto unsheathes his katana. "Whose Family are you from?"

"That is classified."

"Tch!" Gokudera sneers. Stepping in front of Tsuna, both he and Yamamoto prepare to attack. "Stay back, Juudaime. These guys'll be a piece of cake!" With that, he hurls numerous dynamites at the attackers, setting off more thunderous explosions. "Double Bombs!"

The man leaps backwards out of the fray, but Gokudera immediately pursues him. Out of nowhere, a figure appears behind Tsuna, about to attack, but Yamamoto deftly blocks the spear aimed at the brunette with the metal of his Shigure Kintoki. The goggled-man steps back before a wide slash from Yamamoto can hit him. Yamamoto chases after the guy, murmuring several different Shigure Soen Ryu attack forms.

"I can't just watch them fight," Tsuna mutters under his breath. Instinctively, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves a small metal tin and his wooly mittens. After hesitating for a moment, he slides on the '27' gloves and lifts the lid off the tin and swallows two blue pills. In a flash, his normally chocolate brown eyes harden into golden-orange tints. His gloves, now metallic in color, flash with bright orange light.

"Here I go," he whispers. Shooting forward using the flames on his gloves, Tsuna slams a tightly-clenched fist into the stomach of the man fighting Gokudera. The man goes flying off into clear sky, his cry of surprise trailing behind him.

"That idiot!" the second guy exclaims. But his moment of hesitation costs him the battle. With the blunt of the blade, Yamamoto slashes through the man's shirt, the spear flies out of his hand. The man lands heavily on the ground, grimacing. Tearing the goggles off, he rubs the dust out of his red eyes. In a flash, Gokudera has him by the collar of his shirt, raising the jerk as if he's just a kid. The man scowls, but Tsuna can tell he's afraid.

"Who the hell are you?" demands Gokudera for a second time. Something small flickers in the sun's glare, a pin, and Gokudera takes notice of it. His eyes narrow at its shape. "What is the Jijie Family doing in Japan?"

"Like I said: that's classified," the guy replies, "Smokin' Bomb Hayato." Suddenly, the red-eyed boy escapes from Gokudera's grasp, leaving the silverhair holding up nothing. In a flash, the boy's heels rest on the tip of the chain-link fence precariously. Self-consciously, Tsuna, his orange flame dissipating, moves to stop him.

"Ah! Wait!" he calls while reaching out with a wooly hand.

"So you are Vongola Decimo," the stranger remarks, smirking. He mocks a bow. "Kehehe. The name's Hazé. Pleasure to meet you. Anyway, like my partner said earlier, we have no business with the Vongola."

"That doesn't explain why you're here!" Gokudera objects angrily. Hazé just glances away. "Dammit! Don't ignore me! Answer me!"

A dense, black mist appears out of nowhere, engulfing Hazé's entire body. Through the fog, his strange red eyes are visible, still glaring, but they too are soon gone.

"Ah! An illusion!" exclaims Tsuna, his eyes wide. For some reason, Hazé reminds Tsuna of a certain Guardian of Mist.

Laughing, Yamamoto comments, "Wow! That was a great magic trick!"

"That wasn't a trick, Yamamoto…"

"How dare those bastards attack Juudaime!" growls Gokudera, fists shaking in fury. "If I ever see that jerk again, I'll send him straight into the earth!"

"Gokudera-kun…" Tsuna's mouth twitches as he listens to his friend. He glances around, sighing in relief when nothing appears to be damaged. They'd vowed never to destroy the school again, in fear of Hibari's wrath.

"What's wrong, Juudaime?"

"Uh…Where did Sai-kun and Jin-kun go?"

* * *

Back in the hallways, Jin and Sai are talking to with Kyoko. As soon as they were certain that Tsuna and the others were able to defeat the ambushers, they returned to the classroom. They wanted to discuss their situation, but that was when Kyoko came up to them. She shifts her weight on her feet, fiddling with the trim of her blouse.

Being the gentleman he is, Jin asks her kindly, "Is something the matter, Kyoko-chan?"

"Um…Moriyama-kun, Yang-kun," she speaks up quietly. She suddenly looks at them with determination brimming in her bright brown eyes. "Will you two be friends with Tsuna-kun?"

"Hm? What brought this on?" Jin asks her, folding his arms.

"That is…" Kyoko turns her head away slightly, her orange hair bobbing. "It seems like Tsuna-kun and the others haven't been themselves recently. He and my brother had been coming home late with more and more bruises every day. I was wondering if you could watch over Tsuna-kun and my brother."

Jin and Sai don't answer for a moment, and the orange-haired girl looks nervous.

"Oh! Excuse me! I shouldn't be so personal," she apologizes. "It's just—"

"Don't fret, Kyoko-chan," Jin reassures her. A soft smile rests on his lips, and the girl visibly relaxes. "I promise you, I will watch over your friends."

"Thank you, Yang-kun and Moriyama-kun!"

"Please, call me 'Jin'," he replies. He jokingly slings his arm around Sai, grinning from ear to ear. "And you can call my lackey 'Sai'." _Wham!_ Sai slams a fist into Jin's headful of hair, muttering something about a stupid boss.

"Alright!" Kyoko smiles sweetly at the two, chuckling at their antics. "Later then, Jin-kun, Sai-kun!" She walks away as Jin waves slightly at her. But as soon as she's facing away, his smile disappears, and his eyes are shadowed in doubt.

"I might not be able to keep my promise to her, Sai," he murmurs. "I can't even keep my own family safe."

Sai responds with nothing more than a sad expression directed at both his boss and Kyoko.

"Oh! There you guys are!" remarks Tsuna. The duo turns to see Gokudera and Yamamoto trailing behind the brunette. Immediately, Jin plasters on a smile. "Are you guys alright?"

"Yo, Tsunayoshi-kun," he calls back, waving. "Yeah, thanks for worrying about us."

"Don't talk so friendly!" Gokudera shouts at him. "You made Juudaime worry again!"

"'bout that," Sai speaks up then. "We went to get help, but by the time we got back, you three were gone. How did you guys get away?"

"Um…" is the trio's intelligent reply.

Sai glances at the brunette warily, wondering how much his former Family told them. He notices Jin gazing out the window, a glazed screen appearing. Jin suddenly perks up, turning to look down the hall.

"Crowding herbivores should be bitten to death," a low voice growls at them. A young man with ebony hair and bangs and steely gray eyes, and wears a black jacket and red arm band over his shoulder, glares at the group.

"Hiiiieee! H-Hibari-san!" shrieks Tsuna. Gokudera steps in front of his boss protectively, while Yamamoto tenses up, reaching for his baseball bat. The disciplinary committee leader simply turns to Sai and Jin, who are now alert and expecting danger. In a flash, long metal weapons, tonfas, appear in the raven-haired teen's clenched fists.

"For crowding and breaking the dress code—" Hibari grins maliciously at Sai and his piercings—"you all will be bitten to death!"

"P-please wait, H-Hibari-san!"

The prefect lunges at Sai, preparing to strike down the teen. A tall figure suddenly blocks the weapon from making contact with its target, and Hibari's eyes widen just slightly. The others gape in astonishment.

"Oh?"

Jin has defended Sai with a single bandaged arm. A look of pure ferocity and wrath covers his face, making him look somewhat like a demon. It's obvious he's struggling against Hibari's attack, but his arm holds fast.

"Never…try to hurt my friend again," Jin growls back. Tsuna nearly gasps when he sees the boy's eyes have turned a glaring gold. Hibari's gaze abruptly darts past Jin abruptly, then leaps back from the group. He smirks at Jin, whose eyes have returned to normal.

"I won't bite you to death today, herbivore," he tells the Chinese boy. He turns quickly, his black coat whipping around his shoulders. "Get to class."

Jin waits for Hibari to completely disappear from view before collapsing to the ground, clutching the arm he used to block Hibari.

"Ah! Jin-kun, are you alright?" Tsuna exclaims at the same time as Yamamoto.

"Yeah," he grins up at them sheepishly. He winces. "That weapon kind of hurt…"

Gokudera glances at the boy warily, as does Tsuna. Surely the boy couldn't be exhausted from just one hit, right? So what had happened?

"You idiot!" Sai shouts at this friend after pounding his fist into the head full of sleek black hair. "I could've defended myself!" Roughly, he pulls Jin to his feet. Almost dragging the boy, Sai called behind him, "I'll be taking this idiot to the nurse. Go on back to class without us!"

The trio left behind just stares in disbelief. The entire exchange between Sai and Jin has taken no more than a minute. They were finally broken out of their stupor when the bell rang.

"Juudaime! We should get back to class!"

"But what about Sai-kun and Jin-kun?"

"Hahahaha! Those two'll be fine, Tsuna!"

"Baseball idiot! I was going to reassure Juudaime!"

"Please calm down, Gokudera-kun…"

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking, boss?" Jin cringes as Sai yells at him. The two had gone to the roof instead of the nurse's office, since the "injury" isn't something physical. His right forearm aches from exertion. "You could've destroyed that guy in an instant! Not only that, but—"

"I know, Sai!" Jin yells impatiently. Then his voice softens. "…I know." The bandages slip off now, revealing an intricate design of a dragon. "I didn't intend to use _this _power. I—wait…" A noise stops his train of thought, and Jin turns to the chainlink fence immediately, a cautious look on his face. "Who is there?"

"Ciaossu," a squeaky voice answers him from the window as a black-clad baby with a fedora appears seemingly out of nowhere until they notice the green chameleon. One look at the orange pacifier around the infant's neck causes Jin's eyes to widen in awe. "It's impressive you were able to see through that."

"Who are you?" Sai demands. Hearing shuffling, he turns to see Jin standing, bowing respectfully to the stranger. Clearly, the sight of his boss showing to respect to a mere outsider shocks him.

"It is an honor to meet you, Reborn-sama," he acknowledges. Sai stares at Jin, his eyes wide as well.

"N-no way," stammers Sai. "You mean _that_ Reborn?" He whips his head around to look at the infant. "Why is the 'World's Strongest Hitman' doing in Japan?"

"I could ask you two the same question," Reborn reiterates. Then he asks the same question as Gokudera. "Why is the 'Golden Dragon' of the Jijie Family in Japan? Depending on your answer, I might just have to kill you."

"Why you—!"

"Silence, Sai," Jin warns the boy who's about to explode. Gazing at Reborn with a pained expression, he states, "I suppose that title no longer applies to me as I've been overthrown, so to speak. Only a 'Void' is left. I—we—are simply here to fill that 'Void' and find new companions."

"In other words, an internal dispute," Reborn clarifies.

"You could say that," Jin says as he shrugs. "We were also hoping to seek help from the Vongola Family, as we had been allies before."

"I'll let you handle that then, but if you dare harm the Vongola," Reborn cautions, "you'll have to deal with me. And I'll warn you, I won't go easy on you like my dame-student."

"Are you going to tell the Vongola about us?" Sai interjects.

Reborn smirks. "I'll let my dame-student figure it out on his own," he tells the Jijie duo. As the hit-man begins to walk off, he hears the Jijie boss thank him.

"You have my appreciation, Reborn-sama," Jin murmurs as he bows once more, forcing Sai's head down as well. Once the hitman departs from the room, Jin turns to Sai. "We should be grateful, Sai. After all, the Golden Dragon does not exist in Japan, only a Void."

* * *

A/N: Honestly, I'm not sure whether or not I should post this...

I hope that none of the characters are OOC, and that my OC's aren't taking too much spotlight. Please comment with ideas for improvement or how you like these characters.

Thank you for reading.


	4. The Four Guardians

**Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Four Guardians

The next day, Tsuna feels the same uneasiness as the day before, but even at the questioning looks of his friends, doesn't reveal his feelings about it. Though, he has a feeling it has to do with those new students. As they reach their classroom, they're met with a surprise.

"Good morning, Tsunayoshi-kun~!" Jin calls from his seat. Around him stand numerous girls holding bentos. Sai tries to bravely hold them off with threats, but is unsuccessful as his roughness only spurs on the girls' actions, and he's overtaken by their squeals. Jin just ignores his friend's pleas as Tsuna and Gokudera stare in incredulity, and Yamamoto laughs like his usual self.

"Ah! You too," Tsuna replies, stammering. _It's only their second day and they're being swarmed by girls?_ he cries in his mind. Eventually, the girls walk away, tittering about Sai and Jin 'accepting' their lunches. Sai is left sprawled out over his desk, soul trying to leave his exhausted body. That's when Tsuna finally decides to ask them, "Are you alright, Jin-kun?"

Without answering them, Jin places a bento in in each of the trio's hands. "I'm afraid we received far too many gifts," he says sheepishly, "so would you mind if we shared?"

"N-not at all!" Tsuna replies hurriedly.

"Don't change the subject!" shouts Gokudera. "You made Juudaime worry again!"

"Please forgive my behavior, then," Jin apologizes. "I didn't intend to worry you guys again. It seems to have become my habit, hasn't it?"

"Ponytail idiot! I wasn't worried!"

"Hahaha! You're fine now, so it doesn't matter, right?" remarks Yamamoto.

Right then, the teacher decides it's time for class and orders the class to take their seats, which they hurriedly do. Jin takes his seat behind Tsuna, seemingly oblivious to the girls around him, while Sai stares out the window. The entire class period, Tsuna can sense Jin's gaze boring into him like a drill as if to reveal deeper secrets. When he asked Reborn if he knew anything about the exchange students, the tutor's response was nothing more than a threat for more training. Tsuna decided not to ask him again.

Lunch rolls around before they know it, and soon the Vongola trio begins their trek up to the roof. But this time, Sai and Jin follow them.

"Why the hell are you and ponytail following us?" Gokudera shouted at Sai.

"Why do you think, _Bleach-head_?" Sai retorted. "We're going to eat lunch with you guys!"

Figurative sparks fly between the two hotheads in their anger. Tsuna stares at the pair, thinking about how much the two are alike. Yamamoto, being who he is laughs at the sight, though Jin simply sighs while rubbing his temples.

Taking out the numerous bentos, they begin lunch again, this time without any mishaps. That is, without anything blowing up or certain Disciplinary Committee leaders coming after them with weapons. After the topic of UMAs and other otherworldly things comes up, Gokudera and Sai begin a debate about the probability of Nessie actually being in Loch Ness.

"I'm telling you," Gokudera states eagerly, "within a decade, they'll have found her!"

"Right…" replies Sai doubtfully. "And I'll be the CEO of a major corporation. They'll find Nessie when she wants to be found!"

Tsuna chuckles their mock argument, but stops when he notices Jin staring off into space, chin resting on a bandaged palm. "Um…Jin-kun, are you alright?" he asks the long-haired boy. Jin stares down the brunette with eyes that don't seem to acknowledge who Tsuna is. The stare sends shivers down Tsuna's spine. In a flash, Jin's eyes are warm again.

"Sorry, Tsunayoshi-kun," Jin apologizes. "I was simply thinking about something." At this, Sai glances over at his friend, his brow furrowing in worry.

"Is it something sad?" Tsuna asks without thinking. Realizing he's just pried into something that's probably private business, he waves his hands around rapidly. "S-sorry! Y-you don't have to answer that if you don't want to!"

Chuckling, Jin answers, "I was just thinking of an old tale I was told when I was younger, one about the Four Symbols." Seeing the confused looks on the others' faces (sans Sai's), he adds, "I take it none of you have heard of it?"

"A tail?" Yamamoto mishears. He grins. "You have a story about a tail? Sounds fun!"

"Baseball idiot!" Gokudera growls. "A 'tale' as in a legend!" After another moment of bickering between the two, the trio turns to Jin expectantly. He smiles at having their rapt attention. And so he begins the Tale of the Four Guardians.

_As the title suggests, there were once Four Guardians of the four Cardinal Directions, North, South , East, and West. These Guardians served under a single divine lord, whom they were willing to give their lives for. This deity, you could call it, was the Golden Dragon, whose place was at the center. Its sole purpose in the world was to bring peace, though at the same time, strike down any enemies that would dare attack it or its Guardians. Each had a realm of time and a 'House' of seven constellations to guard and protect with their lives._

_A Black Tortoise ruled the North, bringing the season of Winter to the land every year without fail, relying on its unchanging nature. The Tortoise was not originally allied with the Golden Dragon, but rethought it after the Golden Dragon had accepted it. Silently and seriously, the Tortoise undertook his duty with grace, and just a little bit of smugness, as the Black Warrior. It protected the land and its inhabitants from external turmoil._

_An Azure Dragon guarded the East, sending warm weather and light to a land darkened by the ice and snow of the North when Spring arrived. He stood by (figuratively, of course) the Golden Dragon as its most trusted Guardian. Whenever its superior found itself in trouble, the Azure Dragon would be there, ready to take on the most serious of predicaments in order to remain loyal. It was popular among the people as the Bringer of Rain and life to the land._

_A Vermillion Bird, something you might compare to a Phoenix, watched over the South; with it came the promise of brighter skies in Summer. For a long time, it had been flying aimlessly in the skies, questioning its own existence. When the time came, however, it would swiftly settle down in order to serve the Golden Dragon, who had given it a reason to keep living. It was the Empress, one who brought good fortune to the world._

_A White Tiger protected the West, signaling the shift from warm to distant as Autumn was called. And, as it signified a transformation, so, too, did its personality change in the blink of an eye. Despite its character, the Tiger would leave at the drop of a hat, ignoring all others, to reach its dear boss. It lived to protect the living, and served to ward off evil, and was popular among the people, signifying peace._

_For many years, the land remained peaceful under the rule of the Golden Dragon and its four Guardians. The Seasons came and passed normally, bringing new hope after every cycle. The people revered the Guardians, and fighting ceased. Never had the land seen such peace._

_Of course, this wouldn't be a legend without conflict. As it would be, the Golden Dragon had had a rival before taking its position as the core divinity._

_The Silver Dragon, unlike its counterpart, was the epitome of avarice and desired material wealth rather than the contentment that came with serving others. It wasn't always that way, however. Years before, its companion, who was one of the Four Guardians, had supposedly betrayed the Silver Dragon, abandoning it in a time of need. You can probably guess what the Silver Dragon did next. Jealously and hate corrupted it, and in a fit of rage, the Silver Dragon devastated the land with fire._

_The Guardians were quick to act, and bravely defended the land. And yet, one by one, they were defeated until only the Golden Dragon was left. Obviously, the Golden Dragon was distraught at the sight of his friends being taken down and swiftly took action. It faced the traitorous Silver Dragon in a battle for the right to rule._

_However, the Silver Dragon was far too powerful and tore off the Golden Dragon's horns, thus leaving it hornless, and forced the Golden Dragon to flee. In turn, the Silver Dragon ruled the land harshly, removing all the liveliness and life the land. And so, with the Golden Dragon gone, the Land became merely a Void in its place._

"And that's it," Jin finishes. Only then does he acknowledge the looks of disbelief the others are giving him. An air of depression seems to hang over Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto's heads. "Is something the matter?"

"What a depressing story…" mutters Tsuna.

"Y-yeah…" Yamamoto agrees.

"W-why you!" Gokudera starts angrily. "Why did you tell Juudaime such a depressing story?"

"Oh? It was really that depressing?" Jin asks, tilting his head slightly as if in confusion. It's Sai's turn to sigh at his friend this time. Turning away for a moment, he searches through his school bag for a school assignment, hoping to finish at least part of it. He comes up with no papers, however.

"What is it, Moriyama?" Yamamoto asks him.

"I can't find that stupid homework from earlier!" Sai growled.

"Here, here," Jin says, pushing his own copy into Sai's arm. "You can borrow mine for now."

Right as Sai is about to take it from his friend's hand, though, a gust of wind whooshes between the two, blowing away the papers over the side of the school. Hastily, they all scurry to grab the loose papers, but fail to snatch even one.

"Shoot!" grumbles Sai. "Now we'll have to –"

_BLAM!_ The unmistakable snap of a gun going off echoes through the air. Sai and Jin turn around immediately, sensing danger. What they see surprises them. Tsuna is lying on the ground, eyes glazed over. Sai and Jin recognize those eyes: they're the eyes of the dead.

"What the hell happened to him?" Sai demands, eyes flashing. Cursing when he spots Jin's look of blank devastation, Sai stares at the others in horror at the others' lack of reaction. "What are you doing just standing there? We need to—"

"REEEEEBBOOOOORRRRRNNN!" Suddenly, Tsuna's seemingly lifeless body splits open, and a hyperactive, underwear-clad brunette leaps out, an orange flame flickering on his forehead. His pupils have shrunk. "PICK UP ALL THE HOMEWORK FOR SAI-KUN WITH MY DYING WILL!"

"Really, Sawada," Sai begins, bewildered. "You don't have to…"

"UUUWWAAAAHHH!" Without a reply, Tsuna takes off towards the edge of the roof, crashing through the thin wire fence and down the side of the school. He dashes from place to place, snatching up the paper that blew away. Tsuna completely disregards the squeals and stares of others as he booms, "PICK UP! PICK UP! PICK UP! PICK UP! PICK UP!"

"Er…is this a normal occurrence?" Jin asks. When no one answers, he takes it as a 'yes'. A roar amplifies as Tsuna rushes back up to the roof, papers in tow. Rushing up to Sai, he grabs the poor boy's collar and tosses him against the fence that wasn't ripped through. Scrambling to straighten the papers, only managing to crumple them further, he holds them out towards Sai.

"HERE ARE YOUR PAPERS!" Tsuna yells. "COMPLETE THOSE WITH YOUR DYING WILL!" At that moment, the flame on Tsuna's forehead sizzles out, and he visibly relaxes, out of breath.

"T-thanks," replies Sai, nearly speechless. He averts his eyes abruptly. "By the way, Sawada…"

"Eh?"

"Nice polka-dotted underwear."

"HIIIIEE?"

"SAWADA!" an extremely loud voice booms from the stairway. They look over to see a well-built teen with coarse white hair, gray eyes, and a scar over his left eye. A small piece of tape is covered around the bridge of his nose, and his fists are wrapped in white bandages, similar to Jin.

"O-onii-san!" Tsuna stammers. The boy grips Tsuna's shoulders then, grinning at the brunette. "Is something wrong?"

"Why are you here, Turf Top?" growls Gokudera. Yamamoto has to hold him back from attacking. "And don't touch Juudaime like that!"

"Hahaha, good to see you, sempai!" Yamamoto exclaims.

"That was an extreme display of your picking up skills!" the boy shouts. Noticing Tsuna's in his boxers, he adds, "Are you having an extreme boxing match? Join my boxing club TO THE EXTREME!" Gokudera, of course, yells at the boy to let go of Juudaime.

"And who might this be?" Jin asks smiling. The strange boy glances at him and Sai, apparently not having even realized they're there. "Another friend?"

"Ah! So you guys are the extreme new students! I'm Sasagawa Ryohei! It's extremely good to meet you!" He introduces himself so loudly that Sai and Jin have the urge to cover their ears. "What are your extreme names?"

"Name's Moriyama Sai," answers Sai gruffly. Gesturing to his friend, he introduces, "And this is my friend Yang Jin-Wei. We're both transfer students from China."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sasagawa-san," greets Jin, bowing slightly.

Ryohei nods enthusiastically in agreement. His gaze shifts to the bandages on Jin's hand. "A fellow boxer? You should join the extreme boxing club!" he declares. Jin hesitantly takes a step back, a bit frightened of the overzealous senior.

Waving his hands as if dismissing the thought, he tells Ryohei, "S-sorry, but I think I'll pass…"

"No worries!" Ryohei reassures Jin, grabbing the boy's wrist. He then begins to pull the ponytailed boy along behind him. "Let's go practice to the EXTREME!"

"Heeelllppp me!" Jin wails at the others. He's hit with betrayal as the others glance in all directions except in his. Dramatic, shining tears fly from his eyes. "Sai, you traitor…!"

With a slam of the door, Jin and Ryohei are gone.

* * *

Later that night…

"So how did boxing club go?" Sai asks Jin while grinning. Without a word, Jin slumps down on his bed, appearing exhausted. "Did the little boss wear himself out?"

The immediate reply was a pillow thrown at his face, though Sai caught it skillfully.

"Soooo…?"

"He took out the sandbag with one blow…" Jin mutters. Shuddering, he continues. "I never want to see another boxing glove in my life!"

Sai just laughs at this, and soon, Jin joins in. However, after a few moments, they become serious once more.

"So should we ask them to form an alliance, then?" asks Sai.

"Perhaps," replies Jin uncertainly. "Though, I'd like to test their skills beforehand."

"When?"

Jin ponders this for a moment. "We shall assess their abilities in a few days," he finally decides. "I'm far too tired to even think about it at the moment. By the way, you owe me for your 'betrayal' earlier, Sai." Normally, these words would have ordained serious consequences, but Sai could tell his friend was joking…probably.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who's actually read this.

So the 'tale' isn't really tale, but more of description. The idea for it came from the 'Four Symbols' in Chinese mythology, in which there are four (obviously) mythological creatures that corrospond with the five elements, four directions, and four seasons. There really isn't that much information about them, so I kind of made some stuff up. This myth is also what the anime/manga _Fushigi Yuugi_ is based on.

By the way, it would be nice if you would review. It's nice to know if people actually like this story or not.


	5. Reminiscence

**Disclaimer: KHR characters and setting belong to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Reminiscence

Since the baseball team has a morning practice today, Yamamoto departs from Tsuna and Gokudera soon after saying good morning to them. Seeing as they're all already awake, Tsuna decides to watch Yamamoto practice. As he and Gokudera reach the school's baseball diamond, Yamamoto greets them cheerfully before refocusing on his practice.

"Yo, Tsunayoshi-kun, Gokudera-kun! ~" a different voice calls from the metal bleachers. The duo notices Jin sitting in the stands, watching the practice already. To their surprise, the ever-present friend Sai is not with Jin, but rather standing awkwardly on the dusty field. Once Tsuna and Gokudera have climbed up onto the bleachers, taking a seat by Jin, Tsuna asks curiously why in the world Sai is part of the practice.

"Ah, I…_persuaded_ him to do me a favor," replies Jin, a scheming aura surrounding him. _What does he mean by 'persuaded'?! _wonders Tsuna.

In the field, Sai grumbles to himself about a 'stupid boss' and 'payback'. He doesn't want to be there, but he had been forced to try out for the baseball club. As Yamamoto walks up to him, he quickly shakes the thought of Jin out of his mind.

"Oh? Sai?" the baseball player remarks seemingly confused. Then he breaks out into a grin. "Did you want to join the baseball team?"

"…yes," mumbles Sai grudgingly.

"That's great! So, do you know which position you want to play?" Yamamoto looks at Sai expectantly. Sai thinks about it. Being in the outfield might mean less actual playing, which would be fine with him. He thinks for so long that Yamamoto takes the silence as…"No idea, huh? Well then, let's just see what your strengths are!"

"Fine," Sai replies shortly. A few minutes later, he's positioned at the home plate, several meters away from Yamamoto, who stands at the pitcher's mound, a baseball in hand. Tapping the ground with a metal bat for no apparent reason, Sai stares at Yamamoto.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Yamamoto declares cheerfully. "All you have to do right now is wait for the _whoosh _of the ball, then do a _swish _with the bat making the ball go _wham, _out of the park! Okay?" Everyone looks at him in disbelief. _That didn't make any sense, Yamamoto…_thinks Tsuna. They nearly fall out of their seats when they hear Sai's response.

"That makes sense," replies Sai, a hand on his chin as he nods it in comprehension.

"Your friend is really strange, ponytail," Gokudera mutters.

"Y-yeah…" agrees Jin. _How can he just agree to something like that?!_ Tsuna screams in his mind.

Yamamoto abruptly stiffens, his gaze sharpening as his whole being focuses in a single pitch. "Yaaaaaaaa!" With a ferocious yell, he arcs his arm and pitches the baseball at a lightning fast speed. Sai gulps nervously as it hurtles at him, but his eyes flash as he swings the metal bat with all his might.

He misses completely. The ball slams into the fence behind him, making a metallic clanging sound. _He missed?!_ Everyone's thoughts mirror the situation. They spot Sai huddling where he is, sulking.

"Now, now, calm down," Yamamoto calls to the boy. He picks up another baseball. "You'll get it next time!" Once again, his normal smile turns uncompromising as he pitches. "Yaaaaaaaaaa!"

Once again, Sai misses.

"Yaaaaaaa!"

_Miss_.

"Yaaaaaaa!"

_Miss_.

And, once again, Sai finds himself moping in the nonexistent corner. The metal bat lays forgotten near the home plate. The trio on the stands stares in disbelief at the sight. How can a normally ill-tempered boy turn downcast over such a trivial matter?

"That's just Sai for you, I suppose," Jin remarks. He doesn't elaborate into the matter further.

Yamamoto laughs sheepishly. "That's alright," he tells Sai. "Let's try pitching!" The two trade positions so that Sai is at the pitcher's mound and Yamamoto is the catcher.

"Throw me a good one, Sai! I'm sure you can do it!" Yamamoto calls. Sai mumbles something under his breath. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Sai grumbles. He glances around and, seeing only Jin and the others, takes a deep breath. He winds back his arm, and throws the baseball. Unexpectedly, it reaches Yamamoto, even at its slow pace.

After several more minutes of pitching, the others (except for Gokudera) all gather around Sai, who's sulking again, in attempts to console him.

"It's alright, Sai," Jin says. "The sun was just in your eyes, wasn't it?"

Taking the hint, Sai agrees. "Y-yeah, that was it!" he stammers. Within a couples moments, he's back to his surly-faced self, as he and Gokudera begin arguing about UMAs again.

And so ends Sai's (rather pathetic) attempt at baseball. Needless to say, he didn't make the team.

* * *

"Jin-kun?" Tsuna catches the boy's attention during a break in class. The two are lounging near the window. Both boys can feel the stares of their classmates who are wondering what the two are talking about. Sai, Yamamoto, and Gokudera walk over as well.

"Yes, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Jin replies with a smile. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no," Tsuna says hurriedly. "I-I was just wondering…why do you have a ring on your left hand?"

Seemingly confused, Jin holds up his left hand, his palm facing himself. A simple band made of two intertwined bands of black and white is situated around his middle finger. "This one?" he asks.

"Y-yeah," confirms Tsuna.

"Rings on the left hand's middle finger traditionally mean you're engaged, right?" Gokudera cuts in.

"N-no way!" exclaims Tsuna. "You're already…"

Jin smiles at their surprised faces. "That is correct," agrees Jin. "I'm engaged to a lovely woman. Miyo Mei-Hua is one year my junior."

"WHAT?!" The group jumps when they hear the squeals and shouts of their observers, whom they haven't noticed until now. The guys have victorious grins, while some of the girls appear saddened at the news. Gokudera gives them a glare, and the boys quickly disperse. The girls, however, listen intently. Jin sighs.

"If you must know," he continues, "it was an arranged marriage. I tried to talk my uncle out of it, but in the end, he wouldn't allow it. Miyo and I have only met a few times over the past year, but she seems rather, erm, attached to me whenever we meet…" Jin finishes with a less-than-certain voice, to which Sai chuckles as if it's an inside joke.

"Do you think we'll ever be able to meet her?" asks Yamamoto, oblivious to the faltering expressions of both Jin and Sai.

"L-let's hope not," they reply together.

They can hear rejoicing and manly crying from across the room.

"W-what about you, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Jin then asks, abruptly changing the direction of the conversation. "Is there anyone you're interested in?" Immediately, said boy blushes a deep red. He glances over at Kyoko.

"N-no," Tsuna replies, though unconvincingly.

* * *

Outside, a small group of men lurks under the shade of trees. Each of them has goggles covering their eyes. Gazing up at the middle school, one of them, the leader, smirks. Roughly pulling off his own pair of shades, his slit red eyes glint mischievously. A line with a single zigzag runs down the left side of his face. He runs a metallic hand through his slick white hair.

"So this is where our runaway boss has been hiding?" he muses.

"Sir, should we attack now?" an underling asks.

"No," answers the leader shortly. He grimaces at a memory. "We shouldn't get the Vongola involved." Concentrating for a second, he waves his hand before the group. "There, now only the traitor'll be able to see us."

"Very well, sir."

The boss glances up at the second floor's window, where Jin and Sai, as well as a few other students, are sitting. He smirks; this time he would be the one to defeat the remaining traitors. When Jin abruptly turns his head and stares right where the group's leader is, the leader hastily backs into the cover of the branches.

"Kehehe," the man snickers under his breath. "It appears he knows we're here."

"Shall we attack, then, sir?"

"Yeah. We'll wait for him to be alone, and then we'll ambush him."

"Very well, Captain Hazé."

A few minutes before, Jin's talking to Tsuna and the others normally. That is, until he senses a deathly gaze directed at him. His gaze shifts abruptly to the window and down at the school grounds where a cluster of trees are situated. _Wait, trees?_ he thinks. He frowns. _There weren't trees there before, were there?_

That's when he spots the beady red eyes staring straight at him. Jin stiffens, remembering where he last saw those eyes: when Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were fighting their ex-Family members. Those eyes belong to Hazé. In a snap, Jin is on his feet.

"What is it, ponytail?" Gokudera questions him.

"Did you just remember something?" Yamamoto asks.

"Jin…" Sai notices there's a problem, as does Tsuna. The air around them seemed tenser. They're somewhat reassured when Jin smiles gently at them.

"It's nothing," he promises. The others visibly relax, but Sai's expression remains hard. "I just saw some _old friends_ of ours and was going to greet them." The others look at him questioningly, but Sai nods. Bowing slightly to the others, Jin says, "Excuse me."

"Should I come with you?" Sai asks seriously.

"No, I should be fine," replies Jin with a smile. He waves to the group before exiting the classroom. A few other students watch as he leaves, curious as to what has caused the boy to leave in such a hurry. Muttering amongst themselves, they flinch when Sai glares at them.

"I wonder why Jin-kun left…" Tsuna voices his thoughts.

"Hahaha, I hope we can meet his friends," Yamamoto adds.

* * *

"I see the past has finally caught up with me," a smooth voice remarks. Contrary to the cheerful tone, however, Jin wears a grim expression on his face. He glares at the group before him, his ex-Family. Each of them wields a sharp bladed spear, a _guan dao_. In a flash, they surround the lone boy.

"Look who's here, sir!" one of the underlings exclaims.

"He must be stupid to come to us on his own!" laughs another. "Did you think you'd stand even the slightest chance?"

Jin ignores them and frowns at the leader. "I suppose you're their leader, correct?" he voices.

"That would be me," confirms Hazé. A long spear-like weapon with a curved blade and spike on the back appears in a metal hand. Jin takes notice of this and frowns. Did this mean they began experimenting again?

"Kehehe…What's wrong?" Hazé mocks him. "Scared of losing?"

"No, just wondering how I'm going to explain a pile of unconscious bodies to the Disciplinary Committee's leader," Jin returns, smiling coldly. Out of nowhere, he pulls out two metal hook blades. The hooked end of each blade is fashioned in an arced shape with golden rays protruding from different spots so it looks like a sun. The rest of the blade (the hilt and the guard) is made of a smooth metal, the end of the hilt being sharpened into a ninja star-like dagger. Golden tassels hang from the crescent-shaped hilts. "However, since you dare attack the school and innocent people, there may not be anything for him to clean up."

"Why you—!" a grunt shouts. He rushes at Jin, slicing his blade diagonally at him. Jin easily blocks the attack with one hooked blade, his eyes now golden and steely. With his other blade, he pulls the man's legs out from under him, effectively landing the man on the hard ground. With a single chop to the neck and a _snap!_, the man is down and out, unconscious from the blow.

"You guys had better make this worth my time," Jin states. Tilting his head slightly, he sneers at them coldly. The men flinch at the sight of Jin's eyes. Hazé glances at his men quickly.

"What are you waiting for?" he demands. "Get him!"

They hesitate for a second before rushing at Jin, weapons drawn. Blocking a few rapid blows with his hooked blades, Jin takes a leap backwards, away from the men.

"Scared?" questions Hazé.

"Not in the slightest."

* * *

A/N: Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything. There really isn't much to say, but thanks for taking the time to read this. Once again, any kind of constructive criticism, complaints, compliments, etc. are welcomed.


	6. Disappearance

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Disappearance

Jin's absence at school the next day does not go unnoticed by anyone in his class. Even Sai seems unnerved by his friend's supposed disappearance. Tsuna and the others take the opportunity before school starts to ask Sai about it.

"Jin? I haven't seen him since yesterday," Sai tells them.

"I-I see," replies Tsuna. "I hope nothing happened to him."

"Don't worry, Juudaime!" Gokudera tells him. Tsuna and the others turn to him. "Ponytail isn't that weak. After all, he was able to block that crazy prefect's attack."

"That's right, Tsuna," Yamamoto agrees. "I'm sure he's fine!"

Tsuna is reassured, but only for a little while. By the time lunch comes, even Sai's become jumpy and more irritable than usual. Rumors spread like wildfires within the school, and now some students believed that Jin ran away to be with his fiancé.

"Like hell Jin would be with Miyo without telling me!" Tsuna can hear Sai mutter under his breath. Tsuna himself has a bad feeling about this, but doesn't know what to think.

"YO SAWADA!" Ryohei appears out of nowhere on the school's roof. "I HEARD FROM KYOKO THAT THE PONYTAIL BOXER WENT MISSING TO THE EXTREME! WHERE IS HE?!"

"Onii-san?!" Tsuna squeaks.

"Shut up, turf top!" yells Gokudera. "If we knew, he wouldn't be missing!"

"Calm down, Gokudera, sempai," Yamamoto tries to tell him. A shuffling can be heard nearby and they notice Sai standing up, fists clenched. He starts to walk off. "Ah! Sai?"

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," he mutters. "I'm going to go look for him."

"Ah! Sai-kun!" Tsuna exclaims, starting to move to him. To his surprise, Sai pauses and glances at Tsuna, smiling.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

He disappears through the door to the roof without another word.

Sai is gone the rest of the day, giving rise to new rumors. The Vongola trio glance at the empty seats in their classroom every once in a while, hoping the two friends will be back soon.

Sai arrives at the Sawada residence early in the morning the following day looking worried. His fist clenches a crumpled sheet of paper. Two empty sheathes hang on his belt. As he rings the doorbell, Tsuna, Reborn, his mother, and the two five-year-old assassins are eating a late breakfast. They pause in eating and look towards the front door.

"I wonder who that could be," Sawada Nana exclaims.

"Go answer the door, Tsuna," orders Reborn.

"Heh?" When Tsuna hesitates, Reborn slams his heel into the brunette's head, promptly sending him stumbling out of the room. "Fine, fine!"

As he heads down the hallway, Tsuna knows something's wrong. He's not even really surprised when he opens the door and welcomes in Sai.

"Sai-kun? Is something wrong?" Tsuna asks him.

"It's Jin," Sai replies. Handing Tsuna the letter in his hand, he continues. "I found this letter earlier at our apartment." Tsuna skims it quickly, his eyes widening in realization.

_We have the ponytailed boy._

_If you want to see him again, alive,_

_Come to Namimori Shrine today at ten._

_Bring the Vongola Decimo. – Jijie Family_

"T-this is a ransom note?!" Tsuna stammers. _Even so, this is strange…_

"Yeah," growls Sai. He slumps to the ground, placing his head in his hands. "I just don't know what to do. I'd go by myself, but it says to bring someone." _That's right_, thinks Tsuna. _He wouldn't know I'm Vongola Decimo_.

"U-um, Sai-kun?" he speaks up. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'll go with you. I can probably get the others to come too. Well, not Hibari-san…"

"Seriously?!" Sai exclaims, jumping to his feet. Placing his hands on Tsuna's shoulders, he thanks the boy. Tsuna asks the boy to wait near the stairs as he himself goes up to his room to retrieve important items.

Unbeknownst to them, a certain hitman tutor is silently watching and listening to their conversation with a smirk.

Before leaving the house, Tsuna pocketed his mittens and Dying Will pills. Along the way, Gokudera and Yamamoto meet up with them, not knowing the situation until Tsuna explains to them. Both newcomers have their respective weapons, dynamite and a bat. The entire time, Sai stays unnaturally silent, not even getting into an argument with Gokudera. Several minutes later, they're heading up to the shrine.

"Hm? That's strange," Tsuna says suddenly. He looks around, causing the others to give him questioning looks.

"What is it, Juudaime?" Gokudera asks him.

"Have you seen Reborn?" Tsuna says.

"The kid?" Yamamoto clarifies. "Yeah, he's usually with us, isn't he?"

"So, you miss me, dame-Tsuna?" a squeaky voice pipes up. They all glance around for the source, which appears to be a potted plant nearby.

"A talking…plant?" Sai questions. A face appears on it, and the boy stares at it in shock.

"Reborn?!" Tsuna exclaims. "Don't just sneak up on us like that!" A swift kick in the head by the plant's foot knocks him over. "Reborn!"

"Stop complaining, dame-Tsuna," the potted plant scolds. In a flash, it changes into a black suit-clad baby with a fedora and yellow pacifier. He turns to Sai. "Good morning."

"Y-yeah," Sai agrees. _He's not going to question a talking baby?!_ Tsuna wonders.

Strangely enough, Reborn doesn't question Tsuna about where he's going for once. He merely jumps up onto Yamamoto's shoulder and begins to drink coffee. As they near the Shrine, they tense up, readying their weapons. But after climbing up the long flight of steps and walking through the red gate…

"EHHH?!" Tsuna exclaims. "There's no one here?!"

They glance around nervously, fingering their weapons, and Tsuna pulls on his mittens.

"Where's the ponytail-idiot?" Gokudera voices. "Wait, could this be a trap by the Jijie Family?!"

"I guess you could say that."

A group walks out of the forest surrounding the shrine, all wearing a similar black uniform and a badge with golden characters. The leader is a tall teenager with slicked back black hair held in place with a pin. They all hold a halberd-like weapon in their hands. Most of them have dark hair, and they all wear visors that cover their eyes. Some of them sneer upon seeing the group.

"So the other traitor of the Jijie Family decided to show up?" their leader laughs. Then he notices the Vongola trio and Reborn. "It seems we have outsiders against us once more."

"You!" Gokudera shouts. "You're that Hazé guy!"

"Correct, Vongola," Hazé replies. He notices Sai reaching for something that isn't there. He gives a signal, and one of his subordinates tosses him a pair of weapons. "Looking for these?" he asks, twirling the twin hook blades by their hilts.

Sai's eyes widen. "Where—What did you do to Jin?!" he demands.

"Oh? That traitor?" Hazé says lightly, reveling in the anger Sai is outputting. "For an ex-boss, he was pretty weak. We defeated him in mere seconds."

"You bastard!"

"Sai-kun, calm down." Sai turns quickly, about to retort, when he realizes Tsuna has changed. His once brown eyes have turned orange, while a matching flame burns brightly on his forehead. His gloves glow with the same energy. "They're lying."

"How can you tell?!"

"Tsuna has Hyper Intuition," Reborn supplies. "In other words, he can see through simple lies."

"In any case," Tsuna interrupts, "we won't let you get away with attacking Jin!"

Using the flames covering his gloves as a booster, he shoots forwards at Hazé. He strikes out at the man, missing just barely. Immediately, Tsuna sweeps his heel sideways, knocking Hazé away. Meanwhile, Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Sai are fighting the rest.

"Shigure Soen Ryu, Offensive Stance 3," Yamamoto intones, sliding his Shigure Kintoki off his shoulder and to his foot. He kicks the hilt of the sword swiftly, blade first, and it shoots through the crowd of enemies. "Last Minute Rain!"

They all dodge, but can't counterattack quickly enough to keep Yamamoto from his sword. Quickly, he switches hands and slashes through numerous enemies with the back end of his sword, calling out, "Shigure Soen Ryu, Offensive Fifth Form: Early Summer Rain!"

Not far off, Gokudera is having no trouble at all disposing of his enemies. Leaping into the air, he shouts, "Triple Bombs!" while hurling 24 dynamites at the black-clad men. The effect is thundering as the bombs meet their mark, although several escape the barrage. When the smoke clears, numerous enemies are sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. The rest who leapt backwards, start to laugh, but are stopped by Gokudera.

"You think you're all that?" he asks, smirking. "Look down." As they hesitantly do, they spot numerous bombs stuck to the ground. Before they can get a curse out, they too are caught in the roar of bombs going off. The result? Bodies scattered around like trash and flopping around like fish.

At the same time, Sai is fighting his own group of ex-Family. He snatched up the hook swords when Hazé had tossed them aside. Internally, he was fuming. _How did that stupid boss of mine get himself in trouble again?!_ Leaning his head from side to side, he continuously evaded the jabs of numerous _guan daos_. His eyes flash a bright and clear blue as he leaps forward, blocking and disarming the men of their weapons with the blade and hook of his own. Lost in his thoughts, Sai suddenly finds himself surrounded. He sighs.

"You guys are weak," he states. Tossing the dual blades up in the air, they lock together at the hook and hilt. In one swift movement, Sai catches the connected blades and rapidly arcs the blades, creating a spinning shield and offensive attack. He starts spinning on his feet as well, knocking the blades into the ring of enemies and throwing them backwards. When they're all defeated, he glances around and disassembles the blades. "Feh! Too easy!"

Tsuna continues to jab and kick with his flaming gloves, only to be blocked by Hazé's _guan dao_. Finally, fed up, he crouches down for a low sweep, immediately kicking the enemy's legs out from under him. Behind him, a spear aims itself for his back, but he grips the handle without even turning around. His gloves flash brighter, melting the metal pole of the weapon. On the ground in front of him, Hazé swings his weapon down onto Tsuna. Swiftly, he catches it, liquefying the blade part. The weapon taken care of, Tsuna reaches down and pulls up Hazé by his collar.

"So, where is Jin-kun, Hazé?" Tsuna asks, his voice deep and threatening. Hazé doesn't answer for a moment, but then he smirks.

"It would seem I've been caught by the Vongola again," he remarks. Closing his eyes, he begins to hum, taking Tsuna aback. Black fog seems to emit from the guy himself, and Hazé has disappeared by the time it dissipates. Tsuna looks around but can't see him anywhere.

Reverting back to his normal state, Tsuna waits as his friends catch up to him. Taking a deep breath to calm his quickened breathing, he frowns.

"We did it, Juudaime!" Gokudera cheers. Noticing Tsuna's serious face, he sobers. "Juudaime?"

"What's wrong, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asks his friend, though he can already guess. The fighting finished, but none of them know where Jin is. Tsuna's about to sit and rest when he feels the coldness of metal touch his neck.

"Don't move, Vongola Juudaime," Hazé's voice warns. Tsuna stiffens. In this position, he can't reach his Dying Will Pills, and any attack the other's make would harm him.

"How dare you threaten Juudaime!" Gokudera growls, pulling out more dynamite.

"Let go of Tsuna!" Yamamoto shouts. His grip on the Shigure Kintoki tightens.

"You, over there, drop your weapons," Hazé commands. When they don't, he continues, "Or else I'll pierce through his neck." They do, and Hazé smirks. "Kehehe…Now what should I do…? Killing you guys isn't enough to make up for making a fool out of me. Kehehe…I know! I'll just—"

_Fwap!_ Hazé abruptly goes limp, his eyes widening in surprise. As his grip on Tsuna loosens, Gokudera runs forward and grabs Tsuna, pulling him away quickly.

"Are you alright, Juudaime?" asks Gokudera worriedly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna tries to reassure him. Nevertheless, Gokudera rapidly pats his boss, feeling for any injuries. He doesn't find any, so he relaxes. Looking back at where Hazé stood, his brow furrows at the sight of the white-haired man unmoving on the ground. He wonders, "What just happened?"

"Ah~, I was wondering where you guys went," a calm voice remarks. A bandaged fist rubs the right, massaging it after the attack. A bit worse for the wear, but still carrying an air of importance, the newcomer smiles at the group.

"Jin-kun, you're alright," Tsuna says, sighing. Jin chuckles.

"So, where did you guys go?"

* * *

A/N: First off, thanks to the people who favorited, followed, and reviewed my fic so far. I'm honestly greatful to you guys. I'm always worried that my OC's will get into 'Mary Sue' territory, and I check the litmus test every once in a while just to make sure.

To answer your question, OwOTunaFishAndPineapplezzOwO , the plot will mostly be the same as canon, but have more of a focus on the Jijie Family because I'm assuming that readers are mostly familiar with the canon story. And I'm glad you like Jin.

Also, if you're wondering about the names, it seems like I hear a name from an anime/manga/TV show, forget one of the characters has that particular name, then 'remember' it later. Yeah...

Anyway, about this chapter in particular, I'm not very satisfied with how it turned out. Some of the plot points don't really match up, and fighting scenes are not my forte. So again, remarks, complaints, compliments, criticism, suggestions, and/or all of the above are welcomed.

Thanks for reading.


	7. Guardian of the North

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Guardian of the North

"Don't give us that crap, stupid Jin!" Sai shouts, sending a punch at Jin. Jin easily avoids that fist and the barrage following it, chuckling all the while. "We've been looking for _you_ these past couple of days after you went and disappeared!"

"Yes, sorry about that," Jin replies, stopping a punch with his hand. "Taking care of those thugs took longer than I had originally thought. I came home earlier this morning, but you weren't home, and when I went over to Tsunayoshi-kun's home, his mother told me that he'd gone out with some friends. And so I came here, and to my surprise, found you guys."

"Oh, so that's what happened," Tsuna says.

"Juudaime! You don't really believe that, do you?" Gokudera asks him. "These people are from the Jijie Family, the ones who just attacked us now!"

"Are you guys playing the mafia game, too?" Yamamoto joins in.

"EEHHH?! You guys are in the Mafia?!" exclaims Tsuna.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn scolds as he taps the brunette harshly on the head. "Were you even listening to Gokudera?"

Jin blinks a couple times before giving an apologetic smile to the Vongola trio. "I see," he says. "Allow me to reintroduce myself properly. I am Yang Jin-Wei, the 'Golden Dragon' and the Tenth Boss of the Jijie Family, or rather, the Jijie Triad of China."

"The 'Golden Dragon?" Tsuna repeats. Where has he heard that before? Then he remembers it was in the story Jin told them only a couple days ago. _This deity, you could call it, was the Golden Dragon, whose place was at the center._ Tsuna starts at the realization that Jin was actually talking about himself.

"Or at least, I was up until a few months ago," Jin amends, frowning. "The people you just met are part of a group that staged a coup d'état. They…killed my three other guardians." Sai looks away, a pained expression on his face.

_The Guardians were quick to act, but one by one, they were defeated until only the Azure Dragon and the Golden Dragon were left._

"Sai and I barely made it out alive."

_However, the Silver Dragon was far too powerful and forced the Golden Dragon and his companion to flee, only to become a Void._

"We came here to escape the fate of the others, and also to seek new Guardians," Jin continues sadly. "Unfortunately, the leader of the coup d'état has sent agents after us, which this guy—" he nudges Hazé with his shoe—"is the leader of, which leads us to our main purpose for coming here. Vongola Juudaime: would you be willing to form a temporary alliance with Sai and me until we regain our rightful positions within our Family?"

With all eyes suddenly on Tsuna, he panics. "EHHH?!" he shrieks. He waves his hands frantically. "I-I don't want anything to do with the Mafia or alliances! I just want to live a normal life!" After blurting that out, he calms down. "However, I can't stand it when someone attacks my friends like that. And that's why…That's why we're going to help you out!"

Reborn smirks at his student. True, it isn't his own reasoning for creating an alliance with these people – this would be a good experience for his student and his guardians – but nevertheless, is proud of Tsuna for stepping up like a true boss.

Jin and Sai also smile, not expecting this. "Thank you, Tsunayoshi-kun," Jin tells him. "In that case, can we…be your friends?" Gokudera and Yamamoto turn to Tsuna, a frown and smile on their faces, respectively. Tsuna looks at the Jijie duo confusedly, before grinning.

"What are you talking about, Jin-kun?" he asks. "I already consider you guys as friends."

"That's just like our Juudaime," Gokudera states proudly, "to accept even ex-Family members!"

"Hey now, are you tryin' ta pick a fight, bleach-head?" Sai growls at the bomber. He appears angry, but he smiles at the same time. "Didn't you hear us? We didn't leave purposefully."

"Bring it on, piercing-idiot!" Gokudera returns, whipping out dynamite.

"Gokudera-kun, please stop!" Tsuna pleads at the same time that Jin warns, "Sai, stop this instant." Reluctantly, the two aggressors return their weapons.

"Tch! If that's what Juudaime wants…"

"Fine, stupid boss…"

Yamamoto laughs at the scene. "Isn't this great?" he grins. "We've got more teammates in the Mafia game!" _This isn't a game, Yamamoto,_ thinks Tsuna as he stares at the nonchalant sportsman in disbelief.

"Good job, Tsuna," Reborn commends the brunette. "You've gotten another ally for the Vongola, one step closer to becoming Vongola Juudaime."

"Y-yeah…" Tsuna agrees before realizing what that means. "I've told you already! I'm not going to be the boss!" Jin chuckles softly, earning a yelling session from Gokudera. But the shuffling of a person who's supposed to be unconscious stops them all dead.

"Traitors…should just go die in a hole," Hazé growls from the ground. He attempts to push himself up, but Sai slams a foot down onto his back. Hazé grunts in pain. Jin walks over to the guy and hunches over, resting his elbows on folded up knees. The Vongola trio start to move forward, but Reborn stops them.

"Stay back," he whispers to them. "This is their issue to deal with."

"Are we truly the traitors?" Jin asks Hazé.

"Of course you are!" is the vehement reply.

"Think about this, then," Jin sighs. "Is it better to follow a man who experiments on his own followers, or to follow a so-called 'traitor'?"

"Experiments on his own men?" Tsuna repeats, eyes wide. _What kind of person would do that?! _he wonders. Gokudera turns to his boss worriedly, but remains silent, as does Yamamoto and Reborn.

Hazé starts to retort, but Jin interrupts him.

"I've seen that metal arm of yours, Hazé," Jin tells the black-haired teen, "and I know Shen's true nature. I'm not sure what he told you, but I assure you, _he_ is the traitor." Hazé still doesn't seem to believe Jin.

"That isn't true," Hazé protests, but his voice isn't so sure. "I…deserved my punishment for failure to capture the traitors and for involving the Vongola. This is proper retribution for my actions."

"You don't truly believe that, do you?" Jin asks him. Then a realization hits him. "You've never killed before, have you?"

"…"

"Is that 'boss' of yours really as great as you think? Would a true boss force his guardian to perform duties he detested? Would a true boss affix artificial limbs to his subordinates as punishment?"

"…"

"I did not think so." Neither speaks after that, lost in their own thoughts. Jin wonders if he's gotten through to the white-haired boy. Glaring at Jin, Hazé finally breaks the silence.

"What was I supposed to believe in?!" Hazé shouts to no one. It's clearly rhetorical when he continues. "My brother, Zhang, was killed not very long ago. Shen promised me he would find his killer in return for loyalty. I _have _to find my brother's killer! I—"

"You said your brother's name was 'Zhang', and that he was in the Family?" Jin asks, his voice a deathly whisper. Sai's eyes widen in recognition.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Zhang was my former Black Tortoise," Jin explains. "During our escape from Headquarters, he was shot down by one of Shen's men."

"No…no…you're lying…"

"Sai here shot down the killer immediately after. He was a lower level hitman by the name of Leung Jing. He had no family or friends, and was a solo job, hired by Shen to take us out."

"No…no…that…that can't be…"

"I-I wasn't able to give Zhang a proper burial, but he was one of my most trusted guardians. I wasn't able to give him anywhere near the amount of respect he earned," Jin finishes, his voice weakening. He motions for Sai to step off of the boy. Hazé remains on the ground, however, kneeling. "I'm sorry, Hazé; you've been chasing after empty revenge. The guy you were looking for is dead."

"…T-then what am I s-supposed to believe in?" Hazé questions Jin. "I swore I would find his killer, but what am I supposed to do now? Who the hell am I supposed to believe now?!"

"You can believe in me," Jin tells him simply. Digging around in his pocket, he pulls out a small item. He places a bandaged hand on the shoulder of the weeping boy, who looks up at the gesture.

"…What?"

"Hazé, will you become my Black Tortoise, my Guardian of the North?" asks Jin. He holds out a metallic ring in the shape of a snake with the face of a tortoise with onyx eyes jutting out. "I promise you—"

"Captain Hazé!" Several of the subordinates have regained consciousness and are now watching the scene with their weapons drawn. Jin gets to his feet but simply waits to see how Hazé will react.

"What have you done to him, traitor?!" a different follower demands of Jin. Realizing the ponytailed boy is weaponless, he raises his weapon and sprints at him. The Vongola trio and Sai move to stop him, but Reborn tells them to wait. Right as the grunt slashes down onto Jin, razor sharp blade connected to a metal arm aims itself at the grunt's neck, immediately halting any incoming attack.

"Captain…Hazé?" the grunt stammers as he backs up. It's then that everyone notices Hazé's arm is now a sharp blade rather than an arm.

"Oi, idiots," Hazé growls. His face is tearstained, yet his expression holds a whole range of emotions. Wrath, morose, and even hopefulness. "Touch my boss and you're dead."

"'Boss'?!" The underlings raise their weapons, readying for an attack.

"Oh? You think you can take us on? Kehehe, good luck," Hazé tells them. He glances at Jin. "Can you handle this, boss-chan?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question," Jin reiterates while smiling. Looking at the others who have been spectators up until now, he says, "Please stay out of this, Tsunayoshi-kun, Sai."

"What the hell?!" Gokudera shouts.

"A-alright, Jin-kun," Tsuna replies. "It'll be fine, Gokudera-kun."

"B-but Juudaime!"

"Kehehe, you heard your boss, Gokudera-chan," Hazé taunts. "Leave this to Jin-chan and me. Let's go, boss!" He shoots forward with his bladed arm, but disappears in a cloud of dark smoke. He reappears meters away, behind several underlings, slashing through their groups and sending them flying. He blocks surprise attacks from behind with his other arm.

"Sai!" Jin calls. Promptly, Sai tosses the hook blades to his boss, who catches them with ease. "If these guys are as weak as they look, I shouldn't need to utilize that power…" Then Jin launches into the fray. Leaping over the first row of enemies, he swivels swiftly on his feet, turning around and making low, wide slashes through the ranks, knocking them backwards. Turning sharply on his feet, Jin uses the hook to pull enemies toward him before slamming the side of a flat hand to hit a nerve and knock them out.

"Jin!" a voice shouts over the clamor of the fight. Jin turns sharply on his heel, only to realize a flash of steel is aimed at him so quickly without any time to react. _So this is the end?_ he wonders. Something heavy pushes him out of the way, and he crashes into the ground. He tears his gaze quickly back to the spot and sees a _guan dao_ skewering a lanky figure.

"Hazé!" Jin screams. But something's wrong. Hazé doesn't move or splutter. He doesn't even move an inch. Jin notices a grin creeping up the side of the young man's face.

"Kehehe, where were you looking?" Hazé suddenly disappears in a cloud of smoke before reappearing out of nowhere behind his attacker, who freezes on the spot. In an instant, the man's eyes dull, and he screams at something that no one else can see.

"That was…" Sai trails off.

"An illusion?" finishes Tsuna. Once again, a certain illusionist pops into his mind.

"That's classified," Hazé echoes, smirking. He glances at Jin. "Hurry up, _boss-chan, _and help me finish these guys off."

The fight doesn't last much longer after that. It's pretty much a one-sided battle as Jin and Hazé easily knock out the lackeys as the others stand by to watch. In no time, the underlings lay slumped against the forest's trees.

"A-amazing," remarks Tsuna. Then he remembers the story again. _A Black Tortoise ruled the North, bringing the season of Winter to the land every year without fail, relying on its unchanging nature._ Did Jin already know who would be his Guardian?

Jin tosses the swords back to Sai, who catches them and returns them to his sheathes. Jin himself begins to walk over to the group, but pauses when he realizes Hazé remains behind. Seeing this, Gokudera scoffs, and the others (excluding Jin) tense up. None of them know what to expect from the man who just switched sides in a blink of an eye. It's Jin who literally extends a hand as an offer. Hazé smirks.

"Kehehe, don't think this means I'm on your side, Jin-chan," Hazé tells Jin. "I'm merely _cooperating_ with you until I can get my own revenge on that bastard Shen."

_The Tortoise was not originally allied with the Golden Dragon, but rethought it after the Golden Dragon had accepted it._

Jin blinks in surprise, but then smiles gently, withdrawing his hand. "I understand," replies Jin. He tosses the ring from earlier at the cybernetic young man, who snaps his arm out to grab it. At that, Hazé turns away, and everyone breathes easily once more. "By the way, Hazé, you have my utmost gratitude."

Hazé glances at Jin before whipping his head back around, face heating up. "Whatever, kehehe," mumbles Hazé. In a veil of blade smoke, he vanishes. A disembodied voice echoes throughout the Shrine's area.

"Good luck, 'Golden Dragon'-chan."

_Silently and seriously, the Tortoise undertook his duty with grace, and just a little bit of smugness, as the Black Warrior._

* * *

A/N: Well...this might be a bit of an overdramatic scene, but who knows? By the way, Zhang and Leung are not important names to remember, just a couple of names to fill in the blanks. I hope the characters weren't too OOC and that my own OC's were understandable. The following few chapters will be about their daily life, then the Future Arc. I have a pretty good idea where this story is going, but I'm not sure whether or not to add the filler episodes during the Future arc. I'll just make it up as I go along, I guess.

On a side note, did any of you read the latest chapter of Katekyo Hitman Reborn? All that tension builds up into...I couldn't stop laughing, it was so random.

Anyway, comment, review, favorite, etc., but, as always, thanks for reading.


	8. Failed Test of Courage

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Failed Test of Courage

A few days later, in the hallway before school, Tsuna is looking out the window, smiling at the peacefulness that has followed the alleged 'kidnapping' incident. Jin and Sai had apologized over and over to Tsuna and the others for lying and endangering them, but Tsuna hurriedly reassured them it was fine. Still, it was kind of hard to look at the duo the same way now that he knows they're in the Mafia as well.

Speaking of which, Jin and Sai have been surrounded by girls ever since they returned to school, the entire class asking where the two went. They have no answer besides they went on a trip. Tsuna had stared in disbelief at the answer, even more so when others accept the story without any qualms.

Sighing at the ignorance of everyone, Tsuna turns when he hears Gokudera storming down the hallway followed by Yamamoto.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera calls. "What are you doing here?" Gokudera glares at Yamamoto behind him. "And why are you here too, baseball-freak?!"

Yamamoto, his arms behind his head nonchalantly, grins at Tsuna. "Because you guys weren't in the classroom," he replies. Glancing at the window and then at Tsuna, he remarks, "Wow, it's warm in here. Getting some sun, Tsuna?"

"S-sure, Yamamoto," stammers Tsuna.

"I-it's him." A nervous voice catches their attention farther down the hallway. Students scattered throughout the corridor stare at a certain prefect strolling down the hallway, black jacket flapping as he moves. "T-this is bad."

"H-Hibari-san," acknowledges Tsuna.

"Yo, Hibari!" Yamamoto greets the prefect.

"You guys?" Hibari growls. "I'll bite you to death." _H-Hibari-san hasn't changed at all,_ thinks Tsuna, his eye twitching. Hibari glares at the trio once more before continuing down the hall. They collectively expel a breath they don't know they were holding.

"I've had enough of scary stuff," complains Tsuna.

"In that case, I shall give you something new to fear!" a recognizable squeaky voice puts in. Tsuna stiffens at the voice. Turning to a fire extinguisher case nearby, he watches in disbelief as it opens to reveal Reborn Leon-fanning himself while sitting on a bench and eating watermelon. "Ciao-su."

"That's not the right season for that!" Tsuna yells. "Actually, Reborn, why are you popping up like that again? And what do you mean by 'something new to fear'?" Reborn simply smirks.

"Is it a new enemy?" Gokudera asks immediately.

"We're doing a winter test of courage," announces Reborn.

"Huh? A winter test of courage?" Tsuna repeats, thinking of some strange situations. "So _that's_ why you're dressed like that?!"

"Well, we can't do it in summer," Reborn says matter-of-factly. "Plus, you've gone through a lot lately, so I thought you could have some fun."

"That's not going to be fun!"

"Yeah? What a shame. Kyoko was going to come." At that, Tsuna's reply does a 180.

"Oh? She was?" Tsuna places a hand on his chin, thinking about it. In a test of courage, people are put into pairs to walk around, so perhaps Tsuna would be able to spend more time with his idol Kyoko. If that happens, he can prove his bravery to her.

"Pretty cliché," Reborn states, breaking Tsuna out of his daydream.

"Don't read my thoughts!" Tsuna yells at him. The other two, however, are not as reluctant.

"Sounds fun!" remarks Yamamoto. "Team up with me, Tsuna!"

"No way!" objects Gokudera. "I'm the boss's right-hand man. _I'll_ be the one by his side to protect him! Got that?!"

"Tonight at nine, then," declares Reborn. "We'll meet at Namimori Cemetery. Oh, and those JiJie two are invited, too."

"Jin-kun and Sai-kun?" Tsuna clarifies.

"Who else? I'll announce the teams then." With that, the arcobaleno returns to his steamy room.

* * *

Later that night, Tsuna, in a light green hoodie, treads nervously to the designated place. But there's no one there to meet him.

"They all left before me," he thinks. Walking down the concrete path, he glances at the rows of graves and tombstones. Some of the gravesites contain flowers from loved ones, others have received small tokens of favor. Small trees only add to the ominous state, casting shadows over the dark place. Tsuna shudders. "Cemeteries are pretty scary at night. And no one's here yet…maybe I should go home?"

The thought of walking with Kyoko keeps him from sprinting home in an instant. _I might be paired with Kyoko_, he figures, _so I can't let myself be defeated by something that's not even scary._

"Ba-boo!" a gloomy voice says. Tsuna freezes. Looking down, he sees a spiky-haired face staring up at him, a ray of light showing off its soulless black eyes and a creepy smile. "Ba-boo!"

Shrieking, Tsuna stumbles over his own two feet and falls on his behind, flashlight flying out of his hand. A few moments later, he realizes it's just Reborn.

"Don't scream like a girl over nothing, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn scolds him.

"Y-you freaked me out!" Tsuna replies. A figure walks up behind the hitman, further freaking Tsuna out. It glances around nervously as if searching for something. The figure wears a stiff navy vest with white trim and cobalt blue hair pulled back by a pin.

"Sai-kun, what are you doing here?" Tsuna asks. "Is Jin-kun here too?"

"I'm here to do the test of courage, too," Sai tells him. Under his breath, he mumbles, "Overcome my fear, my ass. Stupid boss had better not be plannin' anything…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Since you two were late, everyone's already started," Reborn tells the two. "Your other partner's been waiting for you." A hand grabs hold of Tsuna's left, and the brunette lights up, mind automatically thinking of Kyoko. _It's a small hand…a cold one…and it's sticky?_

"Who's this brat?" Sai points to a certain afro-haired five-year-old in a cow-print shirt who is sucking his thumb, snot dripping down his face. Two yellow horns are situated in the curly locks.

"Lambo?!" Tsuna shrieks. Then at Reborn, he demands, "What is this?! What is this about?!"

"I never said anything about teaming up with the girls," Reborn replies.

"No! You can only break my heart so much!"

"Stop complaining, Sawada," Sai berates him. "At least you're not alone."

"Anyway, the test of courage has already started," Reborn gets them back on track. "As for the course, there are signs with arrows on them leading the way. Also, to enhance the mood, your only light will be a single candle."

"Wait, Reborn-sama!" Sai exclaims. But Reborn simply jumps over a headstone and disappears. He and Tsuna watch disbelievingly. Turning to Lambo, Tsuna reproaches the little boy.

"Oi, Lambo! That's gross! Don't put your finger in your mouth!" Tsuna scolds him. "And straighten your horns! You're too scared!"

"Lambo-san's not scared…" the boy protests weakly. "Ghosts aren't gonna…ghosts aren't gonna…"

"This isn't the time to pretend to be okay," Tsuna says. "Geez…if I'd known Kyoko-chan wouldn't be my partner, I wouldn't have come in the first place. Maybe I should just go home…"

"Tsuna's a coward…"

"You be quiet!" Tsuna sighs. "But the others have already begun. What would they think of me if I just went home?"

"Lame," Sai remarks, answering Tsuna's question. As much as he tries to hide it though, Tsuna can tell Sai's at least a little bit nervous.

"But to be honest," Tsuna continues. All three of them stare down the seemingly empty cemetery. _I'm terrified! _Tsuna screams in his mind. Turning to Lambo quickly, he grabs the little boy and declares, "Lambo, we're running through this thing and getting it over with!" Lambo nods, still speechless. The two take off before Sai can tell them to wait.

"End already!" Sai can hear Tsuna shouting as his friend disappears into the distance. Pretty soon, the cemetery is dead quiet again. Glancing around, something catches Sai's attention.

"Ah…they forgot their candle," he murmurs. Picking it up and sighing, Sai starts walking after them. "I guess I should get this over with."

"Is that another pair?" Tsuna wonders out loud after a minute of running with Lambo. Before the duo walks another group, Gokudera and I-Pin by the looks of it. The people in front of them stop. "Wait, Gokudera-kun!"

"Yes?" Gokudera's voice replies as his head turns. There's only one problem.

Gokudera has no face.

A blank face stares back at Tsuna for a moment, then Gokudera's neck elongates and snakes around in the air. "What is it?" the faceless head asks.

"A ghost!" Tsuna screams, falling over.

"Sawada?!" Sai calls, catching up. A worried expression plays on his face, but he's secretly amused by Tsuna's reaction. "What happened?"

"I-I'm not sure…"

"Awesome, it worked!" Gokudera exclaims smiling. He exposes himself from behind a tombstone holding a bamboo pole that the blank head is attached to. "You did it, I-Pin!" The head rotates, and the silver hair is pulled off by a small girl with a pigtail.

"Win!" I-Pin agrees.

"I'm satisfied that I was able to scare you," says Gokudera.

"What are you too doing?" Tsuna asks them.

"Huh? Didn't Reborn-san tell you?" replies Gokudera. Tsuna and Sai listen to his following explanation. "At first, we were going to pair up and walk around the cemetery, but the girls started saying that they wanted to switch sides and scare people instead." _That's totally what Haru would do,_ thinks Tsuna, _but Kyoko-chan too?_

"So, the ones who were going to be scared became the ones who'd do the spooking," finishes Gokudera.

"He so didn't tell me that!"

"Well, maybe it was hard for him to say," Gokudera says as a reply. "The others all wanted to be the ones doing the scaring, so there wasn't anyone left to spook except you, Moriyama, and Lambo."

"What the hell?!" cry Tsuna and Sai at the same time.

"That means everyone's waiting for us?" Tsuna yells.

"That's right," confirms Gokudera. Turning away, he tells the trio, "Anyway, we're off. See ya! Have fun, Juudaime!"

Tsuna glances around nervously again. "What should I do…" he wonders quietly. "Where are they all hiding?" Looking at Sai and then Lambo, he adds, "Well, at least I'm not alone…"

"The brat's out cold, Sawada," Sai points out. And the boy is. Drool drips out of Lambo's mouth as he snores. A whoosh of wind blows past, and Tsuna freezes. Sai tenses up. Hands fly to his sides but find no hook swords there. The two of them wonder who's trying to spook them this time. Sai can hear Tsuna muttering to himself about not being afraid. Turning quickly, they see…

"Kyoko-mmph!" Sai's comment is muffled by Tsuna's quick hand. Kyoko stands on one foot, wearing a red parasol costume with a giant face and mouth sticking its pink tongue out. Kyoko is sticking her own tongue out; her hands protrude out the sides of the costume. _Wow, she's cute!_ Tsuna thinks. _Kyoko-chan's trying her hardest; it's so adorable!_

Sai rolls his eyes at Tsuna's (stupid, in his opinion) blushing face. Hearing the call of some wild animal, he whirls around and sees a looming yellow monster with a red face, fangs, and brown appendages shouting into the wind. It holds a knife in one hand.

"Are there any crying children here~?" a feminine voice comes from the open mouth. _She's doing the whole Namahage thing again?!_ Tsuna questions. _You know, that's not even a ghost!_

Sai watches as Tsuna battles mentally between different responses to this situation.

"Oh no, a ghost!" Tsuna cries sheepishly while blushing. A manicured hand taps him on the shoulder. Creakily, Tsuna rotates his head. Bianchi, head seeping blood, smiles at him. A purple snake protrudes from her right eye and mouth; a screw protrudes juts out from her forehead.

"A real one!" Tsuna yelps. Screaming, he darts down the path, crying his eyes out.

"You did it, Bianchi-san!" exclaims Haru.

"I told you," replies the pink-haired girl, "it's all about the teamwork."

"Yeah!" agrees Kyoko.

"Who'd have thought that Sawada could change so quickly?" Sai murmurs. "So who are the two you're with, Kyoko-san?"

"Ah! Sai-kun!" Kyoko recognizes him. "These are Haru-chan and Bianchi-san!"

"Are you a friend of Tsuna-san, desu~?" the girl in the Namahage costume asks as she takes off the mask. "Haru is pleased to meet you!"

"Hey, kid," the other called Bianchi greets Sai. Sai nods back at them, blushing slightly.

"I gotta go," he excuses himself awkwardly. He stares at the kid Tsuna had called 'Lambo'. Kneeling down and placing the boy on his back, Sai thinks to himself, _Guess I should bring him with me…_

"See ya!" Kyoko and Haru call after him.

A few minutes later, the cheerfulness of the girls has disappeared behind Sai, and Lambo hasn't woken up. But then, out of nowhere, a _squiky_ noise begins to follow his steps. Sai pauses, his heart beginning to thump. Only one thing can make that flopping noise that sounds like a heart beating. The noise freezes as Sai does. Dark blue eyes dart to the side, as if trying to look behind him.

"Stop trying to scare me," he says to the darkness. "It won't work."

Continuing to walk, Sai hears the _ker-splish ker-splahsh_ of his pursuer. In his chest, his heart beats in a rapidly increasing rate, _ba-thump ba-thump._

Again Sai pauses.

Again, the noises pause.

Silence hangs over the cemetery, the smell of the salty sea wafting like a fog. Something breathes warm and moist breath onto his neck. Turning around like a mechanical dancer that hasn't been calibrated recently, Sai widens his eyes at the sight.

Behind him, giant, bulging white eyes stare right at him. A slackened mouth gapes open, and spiky yellow appendages stick out from its head, back, and rear. Its scaly body is mostly white, but with a line of blue runs down the spine. Slits in the cheeks shudder unevenly, as if gasping for air.

"Fi-fi-fi-AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Sai shrieks. He promptly faints on the spot. Somewhere far off, he can hear a certain illusionist's laugh and his own friend's voice.

"Wonderful work, Hazé."

"Kehehe…you owe me for this, boss-chan." Then he relents, "Though I guess seeing that look on your idiotic partner's face was worth it, kehehe."

"Oh, come now. Sai isn't an idiot."

"Whatever, boss-chan." Black smoke engulfs the area. "And don't worry; I won't tell anyone 'bout his fear. After all, that's classified…kehehe."

* * *

The next day at school, Tsuna and Sai are staring into face, dark bags hanging under their eyes. Their dazed looks amuse their friends.

"Ugh…Sai-kun?" Tsuna says tiredly.

"Yeah, Sawada?" replies Sai, who's even grumpier than usual.

"How did they scare you?"

"…I-I don't wanna talk 'bout that. You?"

"I didn't actually think that cemeteries really had ghosts of friends' boyfriends."

"Is that so?"

They both fall backwards in their seats, passed out from exhaustion. Listening in, the others can hear Tsuna muttering about 'Romeo' and 'afterlife', while Sai's talking consists of incoherent blubbering like a fish out of water.

"How did you frighten Sai-kun, Jin-kun?" Kyoko asks the boy's friend. Jin grins a Cheshire grin – from ear to ear.

"I simply utilized his fear to my advantage," Jin tells her.

"What fear could that piercing-idiot have?" Gokudera asks gruffly.

Jin chuckles, but doesn't answer. He turns back to his bento, which just happens to host a lovely bit of tuna fish.

* * *

A/N: Can any of you guess what Sai's afraid of?

So, I'm not really sure if it's alright to use direct text from specific chapters/episodes of a manga/anime, but...too late now. Also, I'm kinda assuming you know what happens to Tsuna and the others while in the graveyard, so I didn't really write about that. Besides, this will have more a focus on the Jijie Family (or is it a Triad if it's base in China?)

Anyway, I'm glad you like Jin and Hazé . As for Sai, I'm really trying to work on developing him more because he's a bit flat. If you have any suggestions on how to do that, please tell me.

Comment, review, criticize, compliment, fave, follow, ignore, whatever; but, as always, thanks for reading!


	9. Vongola Style Open House Part 1

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Vongola-Style Open House Part 1

The next day starts out like any other in the Sawada household. Downstairs, two children are running around, shouting as little kids do. Sawada Nana, Tsuna's mother, is currently preparing breakfast for the ever growing family. When the clock shows it's 8 o'clock, she hurries to the bottom of the stairwell.

"Wake up, Tsu-kun!" she calls up to Tsuna's bedroom. "You'll be late for school again!" She smiles when she hears light snores echoing upstairs. She's about to return to the dining room when the doorbell rings.

"I wonder who that could be," she murmurs as she heads to answer it.

Upstairs, Tsuna is rudely awakened from dreams of Kyoko by his tutor's heel. He tumbles out of his bed, grumbling, "Why is it that the day always starts with me being kicked out of bed?" Hearing the doorbell ring downstairs, he wonders, _It's too early for Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto, so who could that be?_

After getting dressed, Tsuna heads out of his room and down the stairs, Reborn resting on his shoulder comfortably. Unsteadily, he dodges the flying kicks of a black-and-white and red blurs and the screaming that accompany them. Tsuna watches as Lambo and I-Pin chase each other into the dining room where breakfast is. Sighing, Tsuna follows them.

"Morning, M—" Tsuna freezes when he sees two extra people breakfasting at his table. "Why are you two here?!"

"Good morning to you, Tsunayoshi-kun," Jin replies calmly, setting down his chopsticks to look at the brunette. Sai nods in his direction but doesn't really answer.

"Tsu-kun," Tsuna's mother says cheerfully, "I didn't know you had such lovely friends! You guys eat up, okay?"

"Thank you, Sawada-san," Jin tells her graciously, bowing his head. He nudges Sai.

"Yeah, thanks," Sai amends. He looks at Tsuna. "Yo Sawada! Sit down and eat your breakfast."

"R-right…" Tsuna replies. He takes a seat uncertainly, picking up his bowl of rice and eggs and chopsticks. As he begins to eat, he asks the duo, "So why are you guys here?"

"I just wanted to get'a school, but the stupid boss here wanted to meet you at your house," explains Sai, jerking his thumb at Jin. "We didn't mean to eat breakfast here originally, but…"

"It would not be courteous to refuse an offer from such a kind woman, Sai," Jin chastised his friend. He smiles at Nana. "Thank you very much for the breakfast, Sawada-san."

"Now, now," she replies, "you can call me 'Nana'."

"Very well, Nana-san."

As they eat, Reborn goes over the day's schedule with Tsuna. Sai begins a conversation with Jin in Mandarin, which no one can understand, though it must have something to do with their Family, based on the terse and anxious looks etched onto their faces. After several minutes, the two become silent and scarf down their breakfast bowls, and then talk about school in Japanese once again.

"So Jin-kun and Sai-kun, are your parents coming to Open House today?" Nana asks them. Jin's eyes widen before darkening, Tsuna notices, but then the seemingly ever-present smile reappears.

"Our parents—" Jin begins before being cut off by Sai.

"Are overseas," Sai finishes. Jin gives him a quick questioning look, but doesn't ask about it. "They live in China and sent us over here to study. Guess that means they won't be coming to Open House."

"Ah, maybe next time then?" replies Nana happily while waving her chopsticks around.

"Perhaps," Jin states quietly.

The two finish breakfast in silence, Sai glancing over at Jin, who wears an overcast expression, every few minutes. When the time comes for Tsuna and them to leave for school, Jin stands and bows emotionlessly to Nana before leaving the house, bag over shoulder, without a word.

"Did I say something wrong?" Nana wonders to herself.

"It's nothing you should worry about, Sawada-san," Sai reassures her. "Jin just misses home once in a while." To Tsuna, Sai whispers, "Please don't ask him about it, 'kay?" Tsuna nods, though the question only makes him wonder even more. He shakes the thought out of his head. If Jin doesn't want to talk about his parents, Tsuna wouldn't ask him. After all, Tsuna could understand his friend's feelings somewhat, having a father whom he never really sees.

A minute later, he and Sai meet up with Gokudera and Yamamoto outside of the Sawada residence. Meeting up with Jin a block away, Sai smacks the back of his friend's head lightly. Jin then compliments Tsuna's mother's cooking, which leads to Gokudera confirming it forcefully and Sai retorting. Somehow, watching Gokudera and Sai argue while Yamamoto attempts to calm the two down has become a common occurrence. All the while, Jin chuckles at their antics while Tsuna stares in disbelief and panics at the thought of Hibari.

* * *

Inside the classroom, numerous students are staring out the window and down at the school's front grounds where parents are milling about and waiting to enter the school and their children's classrooms. Most of the comments made are of embarrassment. Tsuna sighs in depression, thinking, _I wish something would come up so my mom couldn't make it…_

"Hey, Dame-Tsuna!" a mocking voice calls. Tsuna turns to see just another bully and his companion looming over his desk. "You're gonna give us some entertainment again this year, right?"

"That was great, last year," the second agrees. He straightens, parodying the teacher. "Sawada, translate this phrase: 'This is a pencil'"

The first mocks Tsuna, fake shaking and replying, "'I-I am a p-pencil.'" The two crack up as if it's the funniest thing in the world. "'I am a pencil?' Even a grade-schooler would know that one!"

"Oi, freaks," Gokudera growls from behind them. The two bullies pause and turn to see not only the bomber, but the star baseball player Yamamoto and one of the two exchange students. "I won't go easy on any punks who badmouth Juudaime." The bullies flinch at the scowl Gokudera gives them, and then they blanch when Sai gives them a second icy glare.

"Isn't that enough?" Yamamoto asks them. His smile is genuine enough, but underlying it is a threat.

"E-excuse us!" the duo stammer before running away.

"Thanks, guys," Tsuna tells his friends gratefully.

"Nah, it was nothing," Yamamoto begins to say before Gokudera, dynamites in hands, interrupts.

"No!" he protests. "We need to teach them a lesson! You can count on me, Juudaime!"

"No, it's okay," Tsuna tells him. Glancing around, he asks Sai, "What happened to Jin-kun?"

"It's nothin'," Sai answers. "The stupid boss wasn't feeling well, so he went home…I think."

* * *

On the roof, Jin sneezes. He muses if someone is talking about him. Unfortunately, his noise catches the attention of a certain prefect that he didn't want to encounter. Jin hardly has any time to hastily dodge metal weapons glinting in the sun, followed by the flapping of a black coat and red band.

"My apologies, Hibari-san," Jin tells the enraged young man sheepishly. Honestly, though, he has no idea why the prefect is attacking him.

"Hn," Hibari replies, halting for a second. "It's against school policy to skip class, herbivore. For that, I will bite you to death!" He lunges for Jin, tonfas jeering out at the boy who simply continues to evade moving backwards across the roof.

"Really, you don't have to attack me," Jin remarks, nervous about one of those weapons jabbing him. "After all, I'll miss even more school if you, er, 'bite me to death' too hard." Jin wants to avoid fighting back as much as capably possible; this boy terrifies him, with that deadly aura and glaring eyes.

Before he knows it, Hibari has cornered Jin against the battered chain-link fence. In a swift movement, Jin balances on the pointed tip. If he thinks he's safe, however, he's dead wrong. Glancing downward, the sight elicits an indistinguishable noise. Hibari completely disregards the fence as an obstacle and is making his way up the side of it, brandishing his tonfas. Only one thought enters Jin's mind then:

_Oh crap…_

* * *

A couple stories below, Class 1-A buzzes with the chattering of parents and students alike before the teacher arrives. The window, still open, hosts a few stragglers still waiting for their parents to show up. Tsuna's head rests on his desk, his minds still wishing that his mother won't show up, while Gokudera and Sai argue about the latest news on UMAs. Out of nowhere, an uproar can be heard from near the window. Tsuna and the others turn to see what's got everyone so excited.

"Look out!"

"What is that?!"

A blur whips into the classroom through the open window, landing unsteadily on its knees. The entire classroom falls silent. Everyone, including the parents, stares at the figure on the ground with mixed expressions of horror, interest, and confusion.

"Jin?" Sai speaks up. Said student glances up at Sai with a sheepish smile on his face. Chuckling, Jin straightens to his full height, receiving numerous murmurs wondering who this strange boy is.

"Good morning again, Sai," Jin replies nonchalantly, though he checks over his shoulder cautiously. "I'm afraid I cannot stay and chat longer. You see, I seem to have attracted some unwanted attention…" He trails off hearing a _thump!_ behind him that could only mean one thing.

"Herbivore," Hibari growls. Jin stiffens at the voice. Most of the rest of the class flinch as well, knowing full well the extent of Hibari's wrath.

Bowing slightly to the parents, Jin takes off, sprinting through the classroom's only door in a flash. Hibari smirks before taking off after his prey. The door slams with a clatter, but the chase can be heard. Bystanders listen in disbelief until the teacher walks in.

Noticing his students and their parents are all dazed by something, the teacher clears his throat and asks, "Did I miss something?"

"I-I don't think so…"

"Anyway, welcome to Class 1-A's Parent Participation Day," the elderly teacher announces. "You're all probably very nervous, but relax and act like you always do. And I will make the same mistakes that I always do."

Several students take that as a cue to goof off and slack off. Gokudera leans back in his chair, feet resting on desk, and ignores the glares directed at him. Yamamoto sets his book up so the sensei can't see him sleeping, and Sai simply watches the window, as if Jin will come flying through it again. Tsuna sits uncomprehendingly at his desk, hoping his mother won't arrive for the umpteenth time.

Of course, luck is never on his side.

Several minutes later, the teacher has written various mathematical equations on the whiteboard.

"Now for this question," the teacher states, "I'll start with the students who are weak at math—" Tsuna starts to freak out—"How about you try, Yamamoto?" And Tsuna's heart returns to his chest from his throat.

"Tch! Already?" remarks Yamamoto.

"Answer correctly and clear yourself of the stigma."

"Okay then," Yamamoto replies cheerfully. "Hmmm…1/2 then."

"Hey! You're just guessing again," the teacher scolds, but he quickly checks for the answer. Grudgingly, he amends, "That's…correct."

"Lucky!" remarks Yamamoto as other students, fans of his, cheer and give words of encouragement. From in the back, his father shouts, "Great job, Takeshi! We'll have fatty tuna tonight!" Yamamoto rubs the back of his neck, sheepishly grinning. _Like father, like son, _thinks Tsuna.

"Tch! What a joke," Gokudera mutters in the front. He has a bored look on his face.

"G-Gokudera," the teacher scolds him nervously, "please refrain from talking."

Mothers in the back mutter and send disapproving glances at Gokudera, who only turns his head. Then he promptly proves them wrong by answering the next question correctly without hesitation. The teacher grudgingly moves on.

"Moriyama, answer this question," the teacher calls. Sai glances up at the board before turning his head away sharply. The teacher takes this the wrong way. "Mori—"

"Answer's…no solution," Sai mutters.

"Unfortunately, that's…" The teacher checks the answer. "…that's correct."

"It would seem he's not as much of a delinquent as that silver-haired boy," a mother comments.

"Tch! Don't compare me to that [bleach-head/piercing-idiot]," Sai and Gokudera growl in unison. Then they glare at each other for answering at the same time. The teacher sighs at this.

"Question 4, Sawada," the teacher announces. Tsuna starts out of his thoughts. _What should I do?_ he yells mentally. _I don't understand anything!_ From his seat near the window in the back, Sai watches with mild interest. True, math isn't his strongest point, but even Sai knows the answer. Sai observes Gokudera revealing the answer with his hands, but Tsuna is too caught up in his own thoughts of failure to notice.

He finally splutters out, "Nine—" _Bonk! _"Gyah! Ow!"

"What's wrong, Juudaime?!" Gokudera shouts as he swivels around hastily.

"S-something just hit me on the back of the head!" Tsuna replies. Turning around to face the parents in the back, his expression falls when he realizes, amongst the chattering women, is a strange-looking miniature elderly woman that was definitely not there earlier. That smirk can only be one person's.

_Now he's a creepy old woman! _Tsuna screams in his mind. Then he remembers a conversation with Reborn just the previous night. The reason he's here, Tsuna realizes, is to find new candidates for his "Family". _No! I can't believe he actually came!_

"Can you repeat what you said, Sawada?" the teacher snaps Tsuna out of his thoughts. Tsuna nods back numbly. A click can be heard behind him – the old lady has a pistol. That can only mean one thing: _Answer correctly, or die_. Internally, Tsuna panics, and he wonders if the situation could worsen even more. His question is answered by none other than…

"It's a hundred trillion, ten thousand," states Lambo. But it's not only him. I-Pin clambers onto the teacher's desk, trying to stop Lambo, but is unsuccessful. Murmurings erupt in the back of the room.

"Whose younger brother are you, and where are your parents?" the teacher asks Lambo incredulously. The cow-child just ignores his elder and rattles off a bogus multiplication table.

"Hey, hey, watch this," Lambo calls. Using his curly black afro as an eraser, he scoots across the board, smudging the work written in chalk. Tsuna prays silently that no one thinks the two child assassins are related to him.

"Sorry, they're my kids," Sawada Nana promptly declares, moving to the front to collect the two. Cue more muttering in from various students and parents.

"Lambo-san wants to play with Kyoko!" the boy shouts as he passes the girl. He extends grubby little paws her way.

"Oi, Mom!" Tsuna cries. "Why did you bring the kids?!"

"But I didn't," she replies cheerfully.

"What do you mean 'you didn't bring them'?!"

"It was me," a different voice clarifies. The pink-haired woman Bianchi stands in the doorway, one arm leaning against the doorframe. "They wanted to come to Hayato's Parent Participation Day with me."

"UWWAHH! FWWAARRGH!" Gokudera splutters before collapsing out of his seat. Foaming at the mouth slightly, he clutches his stomach weakly. Everyone turns to the so-called delinquent, even Sai, who perked up when Lambo and I-Pin were at the front.

"This is terrible! Gokudera has collapsed!" a female student exclaims, clueless of the situation.

"Quick! Let's get him to the nurse's office," the teacher orders. Nana offers to come as well, followed by Bianchi, who only causes Gokudera to faint all over again.

"I-It's an emergency," the teacher announces, "so class will be suspended for now. Sorry for the inconvenience; please study while we're gone."

"**Aiyah! It **_**was**_** you!**" I-Pin suddenly exclaims in Mandarin. Tsuna tears his gaze from Gokudera to see she's staring at Sai. Quickly, she scurries over to Sai and bows politely. "**Hello, Mr. Sai.**" She glances around as if searching for someone. "**Where is Mr. Jin?**"

Sai seems surprised, but smiles gently at her, astonishing all who are watching the exchange. "**Hey, Miss I-Pin. You just missed him.**" Sai responds in Mandarin so that only I-Pin can understand. "**Jin came flying into the room not very long ago, followed by that Disciplinary Committee leader, Hibari Kyoya**."

I-Pin blushes, and Sai curses under his breath while Tsuna starts to freak out as Mahjong tile characters appear on her forehead. In a flash, Sai snatches up I-Pin and darts out of the classroom. Under his breath, he grumbles about a stupid boss not teaching him a technique. Ten seconds later, the entire school shakes from a detonation that lights up the sky outside. Not a minute later, the same explosion reoccurs.

Conversations break out among the parents, most of them complaining about the behavior of Nana Sawada's "children". Some female students discuss Sai's strange behavior. Tsuna covers his head with his textbook, flushing out of embarrassment.

"Hey, settle down. Class is resumed," announces a squeaky voice. Chalk scritches against the board, and everyone winces at the noise. Reborn rests on the front desk in a suit without his fedora. "Here, pay attention. I am the substitute teacher, Reboyama."

Tsuna slams his head on his desk. _Just_ s_hoot me now…_

* * *

A/N: First off, I can't tell you how much your reviews, faves, follows, and reads mean to me. They're really encouraging to any writer, especially novices. So special thanks to OwOTunaFishAndPineapplezzOwO , Seithr-Kairy, SoneBrit, Swords and Roses, TheAloofBunny, XSkyeStarlX, moonprincesst15, and all those lurkers(?) out there 8D. Thanks for your support.

Oh, and TheAloofBunny, forgetting the accents is fine X-). By the way, if you're wondering how to pronounce his name...I guess it's pronounced 'Hah-zay'. Yeah, kind of random, but I thought it sounded cool.

Anyway, updates will slow soon, mostly because of school. Up until now, I'd written all of the chapters out a while ago, so all I had to do was edit and post. But now, I'll need to find time to write more.

Anyway, thanks again for reading!


	10. Vongola Style Open House Part 2

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Vongola-Style Open House Part 2

Outside, the sounds of scuffling echoes throughout the school grounds. Jin leaps backwards to avoid a blow from Hibari's tonfas, but stumbles and falls to the ground. Both teens are slightly out of breath, their abilities on par with one another's. Still, they've taken hits, costing them energy.

"Get up, herbivore," orders Hibari. He positions his tonfas before him, ready to strike. "I'm not finished with you yet."

Shakily, Jin complies. Sometime during the fight, Jin's bandages slipped off, revealing the tattoo. And because tattoos are against school rules, Hibari's strength intensified. Jin prepares to continue sparring, but to be honest, he simply wants to go home. He chuckles harshly within his mind. _There's no home for me to return to_, he reminds himself.

Fortunately for him, a brave, or stupid, student comes running over to them…or past them. Both Jin and Hibari pause to watch as Sai sprints to an open area with a little girl in his arms. A wild look of desperation mars his face. Winding his arm backwards, he flings the girl high into the air.

Before Jin can ask his friend what in the world he did, a thundering explosion engulfs the sky above them. A few moments later, the same girl falls to the earth. Swiftly, Jin moves to catch the girl, who wears a red Chinese dress shirt and her hair in a braid. He recognizes her immediately.

"**I-Pin? What are you doing in Japan?**" remarks Jin in Mandarin. Said girl looks down sheepishly.

"**Master sent me on a mission,**" she tells Jin, "**but I mistook his identity and attacked Mr. Tsuna. But he was really nice to me and let me stay at his house with Lambo and Mama and Mr. Reborn.**" By the end of her anecdote, I-Pin is smiling at fond memories.

"**I see**." Jin feels relieved at this news. "**I'm glad that you're happy, I-Pin. I didn't think I'd be able to see you again. It is a small world, yes?**"

"**U-um, Mr. Jin?**" I-Pin's tone shifts to one of nervousness. "**Why are you and Mr. Sai in Japan?**" Jin's cheerful smile disappears. Sai steps in to answer her question.

"**We…we decided to take a vacation, Miss I-Pin**," Sai lies. He knows Jin wouldn't want to worry I-Pin, who they both treated as a cute little sister. Even if she is in the Mafia life, they know they can't tell her the truth.

"**Ah! I see!**" I-Pin exclaims. "**Japan is really pretty, hm?**"

"How do you know her?" Hibari's voice cuts into the conversation. He stalks over to the trio, annoyed by the conversation he can't understand. He, too, recognizes the girl as the one who gave him chocolate. However, one look at Hibari, and I-Pin freezes up, love-struck. The Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion begins to count down.

Jin doesn't know what to do. He knows he must get I-Pin away from the school hastily, but clearly, Hibari looks out for her. What would the prefect do if he sees Jin hurling I-Pin into the sky? Gritting his teeth, Jin makes a decision. For the sake of the school and the students inside, Jin grabs onto I-Pin and launches her into the air. Unfortunately, his indecision cost him valuable seconds, and the explosion occurs closer to the earth and catches Jin and Sai in its wake. Bright light engulfs the area, and a wave of scorching heat washes over the grounds, singeing the area.

In the aftermath of the blast, Jin and Sai lay sprawled out on the ground like dead fish as I-Pin glances around nervously. Every few seconds the two burnt boys twitch.

"Hn, I'll leave for now," Hibari tells Jin before walking away. "Get back to class, herbivores, and clean up this mess." Jin and Sai listen in disbelief.

_This is all _his _fault!_

* * *

"Reboyama? Who's that?" a student wonders.

"What a young teacher!" remarks a mother, to which another adds, "It's my first time seeing this!"

The class buzzes with new conversations about this supposed "Reboyama" guy. Even Yamamoto and Kyoko, who should know him, are clueless seeing this new face.

"To the parents and guardians," Reboyama says, bowing, "nice to meet you."

After a moment of skepticism, the addressees echo his words. "You too; nice to meet you." They bow back, not questioning a thing, much to the chagrin of Tsuna. Ignoring the silent protests, Reboyama rapidly draws his chalk across the board, writing down another, extremely complex math problem comprised of various numbers, shapes, and letters.

The door suddenly reopens, and Jin and Sai stumble into the classroom, crispy and singed from earlier. Tsuna stands up immediately, shocked. As they walk to their seats, he shouts, "W-What happened to you guys?!"

Before the duo can answer, a pebble-sized piece of chalk slams into Tsuna's forehead. Thanks to his Spartan-tutor training, though, he merely falls back into his seat, grumbling. Another two pieces of chalk zoom at the heads of Jin and Sai as well, but are both disintegrated within seconds before even reaching the duo.

"Stop fooling around and sit down," orders Reboyama. They hastily do. "Back to the board. For whomever can get this question right, I will introduce you to a good employment opening in the Mafia." Obviously, the stunned reactions of the majority of the class do not surprise 'Reboyama'. One unlucky student decides to speak up.

"I don't care if you're 'Reboyama' or 'Heboyama'!" declares a male student named Osamu. "I'm not gonna put up with someone like you!"

"I won't stand for that tone," Reboyama reiterates. He flings a piece of chalk at the offending student so harshly that the projectile disintegrates upon reaching the skull. Osamu's head collapses onto his desk with a _thud!_

"Excuse me!" a nubby voice calls out from the back. It's the boy's mother, who wears the same characteristic mole on her nose. "What did you do to my Osamu-chan?!"

"Ma'am, please calm down."

_WHAM!_

The entire class falls silent as another person falls from the sheer force of the blow. Each of them fears for their own safety. Jin and Sai are only relieved to have destroyed the chalk before.

"Right, so who knows the answer?" continues Reboyama as if nothing happened. The following silence is broken by a little boy who has just stepped into the room.

"Me! Mee!" Lambo shouts. "Poo!"

"Wrong!" A giant bomb hurtles towards the boy, detonating on contact and scorching the area around it. Amazingly, the school doesn't catch on fire. Lambo shrieks in surprise and injury.

"Idiot cow," a gruff voice then says. Gokudera stalks into the classroom, still woozy from earlier.

"Gokudera-kun?!" Tsuna exclaims.

"I've seen this problem before," Gokudera states. He points dramatically. "The answer is the square root of pi!"

"You're already in the Mafia," Reborn replies as he nonchalantly throws a second bomb at Gokudera. The students can only stare in horror as Gokudera disappears in a cloud of smoke and flames.

Sai scribbles on a scrap of paper, then crumbles it and tosses it at Jin. Jin, sensing the projectile, catches it inconspicuously. The note reads: _let's get out of here, boss_. Glancing back at Sai, Jin nods slightly. In a flash, the two are by the window, which is still open. By this time, only a few other students have noticed the movement. The pair slips out of the classroom, leaping down to the school grounds below, escaping the classroom. Meanwhile…

"Lambo! Gokudera-kun! Are you alright?!" Tsuna cries, running towards the burned out boys. Then he shouts at Reborn, "Hey, Reborn! You're overdoing it!"

"Well, I got annoyed."

"Punishing with such a reason?!"

"I knew it…" voices mutter throughout the room. "Sawada's involved with it again…"

"What is he thinking?"

Turning around hesitantly, he's met with the glares of all the students that all say, _DO SOMETHING!_ Tsuna wonders how exactly he can get out of this mess. He looks for Jin and Sai, hoping they can defuse the situation, but the two are gone.

"Then do something about it," states Reboyama, aiming a pistol at Tsuna. He shoots. And a few seconds later:

"REEEBOORRRN!" Tsuna shouts. A Dying Will Flame flickers on his forehead. "I'LL TEACH THE CLASS WITH MY DYING WILL!" Pulling out a paper fan from nowhere, he raps the teacher's desk with it. He gestures to the board. "YOU IDIOTS CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THIS?! DO YOU WANT ME TO KNOCK YOU OUT?!"

"N-no way…"

"He turned defiant?"

Reboyama smirks. "I guess you have it under control, Dame-Tsuna," he says. With that, he walks out of the classroom.

And so, the horrific class participation continued.

* * *

"I can assume that Tsunayoshi-kun did not find any new recruits, hm?" Jin remarks as he, Sai, and Reborn recline on the edge of the roof. After escaping – er, leaving – the classroom, the duo went to the roof. Not long after, Reborn appeared.

"My dame-student still has a ways to go before he can gain Family members so easily," Reborn replies. "It seems like he can only attract those who were once against him."

"I see," Jin says smiling. He stares up at the sky. "I've heard…that the Vongola Decimo contracted many of his followers after defeating them in battle. Escaped convicts, independent assassins, and others of the like became comrades in arms. The entire Mafia world has been abuzz with news of the Vongola's acceptance. If…circumstances had not occurred, I would have planned to meet the infamous boy, one forthcoming boss to another. It seems ironic that I finally get my wish, yet I am nobody now."

Jin turns to the infant, if only to see his reaction, but is shocked when he sees that the famous hitman has fallen asleep with his eyes open and a snot bubble forming from his nose. Jin chuckles lightly at the sight.

"Hey, stupid boss," Sai speaks up then, "that reminds me. We still have'ta initiate that Hazé guy as the new Black Tortoise."

"I understand, Sai," Jin answers, "but right now, we have a more critical situation on our hands."

Sai looks away frowning. "So you knew?" he asks. Jin covers his mouth with his hand. A bead of sweat rolls down his face.

"H-how could I not know my fiancé is coming to visit?" Jin asks, tittering nervously. He takes out a neatly folded piece of paper littered with inked hearts and flowers. "She hasn't changed a bit."

"Well then, stupid boss," Sai says, clasping a hand on his friend's shoulder, "we're in for a whole lotta trouble this next week."

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. It's really supposed to go with the previous chapter, but I felt I needed a break in the storyline. Anyway, thanks again for the comments, faves, and views. By the way, I think I've already mentioned this, but there will be no pairings among the main cast, partly because romance is not my forte.

There's not much else to say, so thanks for reading!


	11. Miyo Mei Hua

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Miyo Mei-Hua

The day the "Golden Dragon of the Center" comes to school wearing two pigtails is not one to forget. That's right, today, Yang Jin-Wei, former respected and tenth boss of the Jijie Family, has his hair up in twin tails wrapped in bright yellow ribbons and beads. With his hair like that and the golden eyeliner, Jin could pass for any other female student, if not for his uniform.

"Um, Jin-kun?" Tsuna says. They have all arrived at school and are waiting for class to begin. That morning, Reborn told Tsuna that there would be another exchange student. Honestly, where did they all come from? Tsuna only hopes they won't be crazy. "Why are you…why is your hair like that?"

"Pft, ponytail idiot," Gokudera smirks, "is your new hobby dressing in drag?"

Yamamoto just laughs like his usual self. "Hahaha, you kinda look like a girl, Jin!" he exclaims. Jin sighs, and Sai holds back a snigger.

"Look, it was not _my _idea to wear these…these…these _thingies_!" Jin cries, losing it in the end. He places his head in his palm. "Oh! The shame of this!" Everyone stares in disbelief as the normally calm Jin stammers.

"So…why?" Tsuna repeats. He waves his hands at the outfit. Before Jin can answer, Kyoko walks over with Hana, who stifles a snicker at the sight of Jin.

"Good morning, everyone," Kyoko greets them. Then she spots Jin. "Jin-kun, you look so cute! Is there a convention in town today?"

"Thanks, and no," Jin replies, face heating up. "M-my f-fiancé has d-d-decided to – urk! – visit this we-ek. She's really into fashion, if that tells you anything."

"She pretty much uses him as a giant dress-up doll," Sai clarifies. Jin flushes bright red at this and jabs his friend in the side. "Ouch!"

"Hahaha! She sounds interesting!" remarks Yamamoto.

"Tch! She'd better not mess with Juudaime," grumbles Gokudera.

"So Jin-kun, when will we get to meet her?" Kyoko asks.

"Actually—" Jin starts before he's interrupted by the teacher entering the classroom. The students hastily return to their seats. After the typical morning procedures, the teacher introduces the transfer student. Jin and Sai stiffen at the mention of a new student. Both of them can guess who it is.

"Class, give a warm welcome to—"

"Miyo Mei-Hua," the girl at the front of the class announces, "age fourteen, miyaa. Please call me 'Miyo-chan'! I'm from China, my favorite color is yellow, and I'm engaged to Yang Jin-Wei, miyaa!" Immediately, everyone turns to the boy. _This _is who he was talking about? The two are complete foils of one another! Cheery and energetic, calm and collected; they make a strange pair.

Her eyes catch everyone's attention. Dark, but bright, they're outlined with just enough makeup to give and accent. Her black hair curves around her face, making it seem round, and is cut to a medium length. Around her wrists, she wears numerous bracelets, and she wears her socks stylishly uneven. A luminescent blush shines. She tilts her head to the side cutely, as if she doesn't understand why everyone is looking at her strangely.

"Hey, hey~! Is something wrong?" she asks. Then she smiles. "I see; you guys are all just so speechless about meeting me! Is that right, miyaa~?" Miyo notices Jin hiding his face, who flinches at her recognition. A grin spreads wide across the girl's face. "JIINN, MY LOOVE~! YOU'RE SO KAWAAII! IT'S BEEN _SUCH _A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE LAST SEEN ONE ANOTHER!"

Jin blushes madly as Miyo nearly strangles him in an embrace. "My darling Mei," he whispers softly, "we saw each other just this morning…GAK!" He gasps when Miyo's grip tightens.

Nearly exasperated by now, the sensei cleared his throat. "Miyo-san, please take any empty seat in the room," he informs Miyo. In a flash, she takes the now-empty seat behind Jin, pushing the student who sat there before out and grumbling on the ground. The teacher sighs. "I said, any _empty_ seat…"

* * *

Tsuna, Sai, Gokudera, and Yamamoto wait on the rooftop at lunch for Jin to arrive. Throughout the entire class periods, Miyo had stared at Jin, who failed at ignoring her. Eventually, he nervously excused himself from class, but Miyo followed him, leaving the others to postpone their lunch for them. After several long minutes of awkward silence, the others can hear bickering come closer through the door leading to the roof. Jin and Miyo reach the rooftop, arguing about hairstyles.

"—should not be forced to wear such frivolous styles," Jin is telling Miyo. His hair is back to a single ponytail and without the yellow ribbon.

"But Jinny!" she protests. "You looked sooo cute, miyaa! Here, let me help you fix it!" Miyo grabs Jin's hair harshly, and he yelps at the yanking. Miyo's brow scrunches in concentration as she focuses on pleating his hair. Spotting the others, Jin smiles in relief.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, Sai!" Jin calls. "HELP ME!"

"A-alright, J-Jin-kun!" Tsuna replies. He starts for Jin, but Miyo immediately steps in front of him, legs spread and hands on her hips. "M-Miyo-san?"

"'Jin-kun', miyaa?!" she repeats angrily. "Did you just call _my_ Jinny 'kun'?"

"W-wha—?"

"Don't give me that, miyaa!" Miyo interrupts. "I've studied enough Japanese to know that the suffix 'kun' is for those who are close to you and for lovers! Don't you _dare _try and take him away, miyaa~? Jinny and I are gonna get married soon, and then it'll be illegal for you to steal him away, miyaa."

"WWHAAT?!" Both Tsuna and Jin blush at this. _Is this girl crazy?!_ wonders Tsuna.

"Oi! Stupid girl!" Gokudera growls angrily. Miyo looks at him indignantly. "The honorific 'kun' is just for fellow peers. _'Chan' _is informal and for close friends and lovers. How can you get 'kun' and 'chan' mixed up?!"

Miyo immediately stops ranting and places one fist into the other's palm, as if finally realizing something. "I see!" she exclaims. Miyo then runs up to Tsuna and hugs him tightly. "Sorry for misunderstanding! It won't happen again, miyaa~! By the way, call me Miyo-chan! Got it, miyaa~?

"A-alright, Miyo-san," Tsuna agrees. Miyo huffs impatiently.

"It's 'Miyo-chan!" she cries. "M-I-Y-O—C-H-A-N~!" She grins. "Heehee! I'm so glad to meet you! I hope my Jinny hasn't been too much trouble, miyaa!"

"Get your hands off of Juudaime!"

"Mei! You're gonna choke him to death!" Sai shouts. Miyo quickly releases Tsuna, who gasps for air. Miyo apologizes, dipping her head rapidly each time.

"So sorry!" she tells him. "I shouldn't have handled the Vongola Juudaime as such!"

"'H-handled?" Tsuna echoes. Waving his arms rapidly, he denies, "N-no! I'm not going to be the Vongola Juudaime, M-Miyo-chan!"

"Hahaha, seems like that's all cleared up then," Yamamoto says. Yet again, he appears oblivious to the current situation. The Vongola trio introduce themselves to Miyo, who sits by Jin and holds his hand. As they eat their lunches, Miyo's stare whips back and forth between Jin and Sai.

"So where did you guys go, miyaa?" Miyo whines. A metaphorical spotlight shines down on her following melodramatic emotions. "I was left there in China, all _alone_, with not a soul to talk to, miyaa. Those two boys did not even send me a letter after they left, not even one final phone call, wah!"

"Hey, Jin-kun?" Tsuna whispers. Jin turns his ear to listen. "Does Miyo-san know about the Mafia?"

"I can hear you, miyaa." The two jump when Miyo suddenly appears in between them, frowning. "It's not nice to gossip about others behind their backs, miyaa! But yeah! I know _all _about the Mafia, Tsuna-san. My _bàbà_ and Jin's uncle are both great bosses of triads, miyaa. They're the ones who set up our marriage."

"Then you should understand why we left, Mei," says Jin, sighing. Miyo seems to calm down at his voice, becoming somber and thoughtful.

"I'm sorry that you lost your position as boss, Jin," she tells him. He stares at her for a moment before realizing that that's all she knows. "And you, too, Sai. But when I'd heard that you two came here, I couldn't help but wonder why."

"Japan is simply a stepping stone in our mission to locate missing Guardians," Jin explains. "Before…the coup d'état, I sent them into hiding." He leaves it at that. As with I-Pin, he doesn't want to worry Miyo too much. While the two are close, their Families do not pry into each other's internal affairs often, meaning Miyo would be sheltered from the truth.

Miyo doesn't entirely believe this explanation, but accepts it anyway. She knows she probably wouldn't like the truth, and, moreover, Jin probably doesn't want to dwell on it.

Then she spots the bento a random female classmate gave to him before class.

"Miyaa!" she exclaims. "Who gave you that petty-looking bento?!" Reaching into her bag, she pulls out a homemade lunch wrapped in pink (Sai and Gokudera smirk at this). Tossing the previous lunch away like trash, she's reaching to place her own bento into Jin's empty hands, something speeds their way.

"Watch out!" Jin and Tsuna warn. Bullets fly through the air, and the group ducks and covers. Stray bullets pummel the lunch to mere strips of sauce-covered plastic. After a few moments, the volley of ammunition ceases, and the group warily gets to their feet, weapons ready. Their enemies appear across from them, holding firearms of various sizes. From their badges, they can tell that the attackers are from the Jijie Family.

"Prepare to die, traitors!" one of them shouts.

"Honestly, _this_ again?" asks Jin. An overpowering aura suddenly emanates from Miyo, who clenches her fists tightly. Her hair floats in the air, twisting and curling like snakes. Everyone flinches at the deadliness of the aura, including the enemies. "Oh dear…"

"W-what do you mean by 'oh dear'?" Tsuna says. Jin straightens before distancing himself from Miyo. The others glance at him expectantly.

"It would be best if we stand by in this fight, everyone," Jin informs the others. "Mei-chan is capable of finishing them off herself. Should we join in, we would only become obstacles. We should leave this to her." He sits down on the ground, and Sai follows suit. Gokudera and Yamamoto turn to Tsuna, who nods. The Vongola trio hesitantly takes back their weapons and move away. The Jijie agents cackle at this.

"Relying on a little girl? How pathetic!" they shout. But they all flinch and silence when Miyo turns to them maliciously.

"How _dare_ you destroy that bento I made especially for my dear fiancé!" she roars. Suddenly, her bracelets glow with bright yellow light and transform into thick bangles with the design of a lotus. "Blossom of the Lotus!" she cries.

Rushing forwards, she slams two clenched fists straight into the faces of two of the thugs before they have the chance to react. Those to go down with _thuds!_, skidding across the roof. The others watch in wide-eyed horror at the girl.

"Get her!" the leader shouts. Confusing the observers, the thugs' weapons disappear, and they fight with bare hands. One of them launches himself at Miyo, who simply dips down and rams into the man's stomach so harshly that he flies off the side of the school. As more enemies begin to attack, Miyo easily evades, kicks, and punches when needed. One by one, the thugs fly off of the roof and into the distant sky.

Meanwhile, Jin and Sai calmly finish their lunches, ignoring the commotion around them. The Vongola trio follow suit more uncertainly. Minutes later, the roof is cleared of enemies, leaving only Miyo brushing her hands off, normal bangles clinking around. Dashing back over to where Jin is, she embraces the boy from behind. Jin closes his eyes in slight frustration.

"I'm so sorry, Jinny!" she cries. "Those awful people destroyed your lunch!"

"It's alright, Mei-chan," he assures her. She's not listening, however, but reaching into her bag once again. Everyone stares in disbelief when she pulls out a second bento.

"Yep, miyaa! It's a good thing I made an extra!" Miyo exclaims. "And just in case you lose this one, I've got three more, miyaa!"

"Hey, Juudaime?" Gokudera hisses. "Doesn't it seem like those idiots came just so the idiot girl could show-off?"

"I-I don't think so, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna replies. But, for all he knows, daily assassin attempts are normal for bosses. _No! Don't think like that!_ he scolds himself. He turns to Miyo. "Um, Miyo-chan? Why did _you_ come to Japan? You aren't in the same Family, right?"

"That's right, Tsuna-san!" Miyo confirms. A luminescent blush lights up her face. "Actually, the reason why I came to Japan is…to get married to Jinny, miyaa!"

"W-WHAT?!" Jin cries, spraying his drink out his mouth at Sai. "I-it's far too early for that, Mei! I thought we agreed to marry after university studies!"

"Well, I was thinking 'bout that and finally came to a conclusion, miyaa. Since we're both part of the Triad, and either of us could die at any moment, isn't it better to get married as soon as possible?"

Another spit take, this time from everyone present.

"How depressing…"

"Hahaha, I don't really understand…"

But the one who takes it the worst is…Jin. He splutters something unintelligible and promptly passes out on the spot he's sitting.

"Jin-kun!" Tsuna exclaims.

"Jinny?! What happened, miyaa?!" Miyo questions, shaking her fiancé more roughly than she means to. The others look at her in shock. _You're the one who caused him to faint!_ Tsuna protests internally. Yamamoto laughs off the tension.

"I guess he's so excited that he wanted to take a nap before the big day!" he remarks.

"That must be it!" Miyo agrees excitedly. Clasping her hands together, she blushes. "Such a gentleman."

"A-are you really going to go through with the ceremony, Miyo-chan?" Tsuna asks her tentatively.

"Of course we are, Tsuna-san!" Miyo jumps to her feet, brushing off her skirt. Twirling around with her arms stretched upwards, she transforms her bracelets into the lotus bangles.

Hefting Jin up with her arms, Miyo carries him bridal style. She nods to them cheerfully before walking backwards to the door. Frowning at it for a split second (wondering how she's going to get through the door with her hands full), she swiftly kicks the door inwards, splintering the wood and tearing it off its hinges.

"We'll send the invitations by mail, miyaa," Miyo tells them. "You should expect it soon, miyaa!"

"You can't be serious," Sai remarks, shaking his head. Miyo simply smiles at him.

"For once, my dear friend, I am."

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, again! Hopefully, this chapter met your expectations. I'm not really that great with humor.

In all actuality, I'm not that efficient XD. Normally, I'm a really bad procrastinator, so three chapters in one week probably won't happen again. And yep: I named Jin that because it means 'gold' (but mostly because I like that name).

Anyway, from now on, I'll probably be updating once a week because of school.

Thanks again for reading!


	12. Double Wedding of Disaster

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Double Wedding of Disaster

Tsuna stares at the stiff little crimson-colored slip of paper in complete disbelief and shock. He rereads the paper over and over again until the meaning finally sinks in. It's a Sunday, so Tsuna had hoped he could take the day off. Currently, however, he stands outside in his pajamas, reading a disturbing piece of news. On the paper, in gold scripted ink, reads:

_Wedding Invitation_

_To: Sawada Tsunayoshi_

_You are cordially invited_

_to witness the union between:_

_Bianchi and Reborn_

_Miyo Mei-Hua and Yang Jin-Wei_

"N-no way!" Tsuna exclaims. "Not only Miyo-chan and Jin-kun, but Rebeorn and Bianchi, too?! Isn't he still just a baby?! This has got to be a joke!" He remembers what happened last night and wonders if it has anything to do with this.

* * *

_The night before, while his mother was cleaning around the house, she found her old wedding picture. Ecstatic, she called Tsuna over to show him. As Tsuna peered around the corner of the doorframe, Bianchi and Fuuta had appeared behind him, curious as well._

"_What kind of picture is it?" Fuuta had asked inquisitively. Sawada Nana giggled and blushed before replying._

"_From when your father and I got married," she told the trio at the door._

"_Eh? You mean your wedding?!" Tsuna had echoed. His curiosity got the better of him. "Show me! Show me!"_

"_Alright!" Nana replied, handing him the photograph. Upon examining it, however, Tsuna appeared shocked. He couldn't believe his eyes. In the picture, with a cream drape background and red floor, Tsuna's father, Iemitsu, towered over Nana. The shocking part, however, was the fact that the groom was wearing his work clothes: a yellow hard hat, a white tank, an orange work suit, and tall work boots. Nana, on the other hand, was clothed in a pretty but simple layered white dress that hung from her shoulders; white opera gloves that came up past her elows, and a flowing veil behind her dark brown hair._

"_Wow! So cool!" remarked Fuuta._

"_Wonderful," Bianchi added._

"_How?!" demanded Tsuna. He glanced at the photo again, worried. "And why is Dad dressed like that?"_

"_That's because your father had a job come up on the day of the ceremony," Nana explained nostalgically. "I was so worried that he might be late. He made it just in time, but he was dressed like that for the whole reception." Tsuna, per usual, was in disbelief at his father's weirdness. A job? Right…_

_Lambo had suddenly appeared from nowhere, jumping up and down while reaching for the photo._

"_Lambo-san wants to see it too!" he declared. "Lemme see! Lemme see!" Lambo grabbed the photo in Tsuna's hands, but Tsuna didn't let go. From down the hallway, I-Pin showed up as well, scolding Lambo and trying to pull the photo away._

"_Don't pull on it!" both she and Tsuna cried._

_But it was too late. With all three of them pulling, the picture tore apart into numerous pieces, scattering across the floor. Nana had stared at the scene in horror before masking her feelings up with a smile._

"_Uh-oh! It's not Lambo-san's fault!" declared the cow-child._

"_It obviously is!" Tsuna yelled back. Turning to his mother, he apologized, as did I-Pin. Moments later, the photograph was taped back together, but it was obvious that Nana was still upset. Tsuna had still felt bad._

"_That's so nice," Bianchi murmured in awe. The others stared at her questioningly. She blushes the same shade as her hair. "Makes me want to marry Reborn this very second."_

_What none of them noticed, however, was the miniature hitman standing near the doorway, fedora shadowing his eyes…_

* * *

Which brings Tsuna back to the present. Could it be a coincidence that Bianchi finally gets her wish to marry Reborn the day right after she mentioned it? _Nah_, he thinks, _she talks about it all the time_.

He is jerked out of his thoughts when he hears Kyoko call his name. He turns around quickly and sees everyone waiting outside his house's gate, all dressed up. Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, and _Sai_ wear black suits and ties, while Kyoko, Haru, and Hana wear pink, green, and blue dresses, respectively.

"Yo, Tsuna!" Yamamoto calls, waving.

"Juudaime," Gokudera greets Tsuna while bowing. "We're here to pick you up."

"Tsuna-kun, let's go to the chapel together!" exclaims Kyoko.

"E-eh?" Tsuna stammers. He's actually distracted at how cute he thinks Kyoko is today.

"What? You aren't ready yet?" Hana reproaches.

"W-what chapel—"

"What do you mean, Sawada?!" Ryohei shouts, leaning in close to Tsuna.

Seeing his confused look, Haru supplies, "The chapel where Reborn-chan and Bianchi-san's, and Jin-san and his fiancé's weddings are being held!"

"She may not be much of a sister, but I should still celebrate this occasion," Gokudera adds. For once, when talking about his sister, he doesn't growl. Tsuna blinks at this. Then he looks at the invitation once again.

"Eh?" Then it hits him. "So it's real?!"

"Of course, Sawada," Sai deadpans. "Didn't you hear Mei yesterday? She was completely serious on marrying Jin." He sighs. "I just di'nt think it'd happen so soon."

* * *

Half an hour later, Tsuna and the others are in Bianchi and Miyo's dressing room in an old church. While he and the others related to Vongola admire Bianchi, Sai moves over to where Miyo is. Much to Tsuna's shock, Bianchi wears the exact same wedding dress as the one in his mother's photograph.

The embroidered fabric crosses over her torso at her shoulders, and flows smoothly. Bianchi's hair has been pulled back, and is decorated with a layered opaque veil connected to her rose hair with round pearls. She holds a violet bouquet between her gloved hands. On her left arm, a tattoo of a scorpion is etched into her skin, but that doesn't detract from her sparkling appearance today. Everyone, including Tsuna, thinks she looks beautiful.

Tsuna then notices Sai over next to Miyo, who is blushing from a compliment as well. Unlike Bianchi, who wears traditional white garbs, Miyo has on a flowing strapless crimson dress that comes down past her ankles and is embellished with golden flowers. The bodice is outlined with a black stripe then a shiny yellow stripe, and is tapered at the waist by a wide band of fabric. Miyo's hair has been put into a side bun and is held in place by a feathery hair piece. The Lotus bangles dangle from her wrists. Tsuna blushes again at this bride-to-be.

"You look…nice," remarks Sai gruffly. Miyo giggles and whirls around, her dress twirling in the air.

"Why thank you, Sai," she replies. Then, the other girls come over.

"Ah! So you're Miyo-san!" exclaims Haru. She bows politely. "It's a pleasure to meet the friend of Tsuna-san! Haru is Haru, desu~! Haru is Tsuna-san's future wife!"

"Ehh?! No you're not!" denies Tsuna furiously.

"Ah! That's wonderful! Please call me 'Miyo-chan', miyaa," Miyo tells her, waving her hand.

"You're so beautiful, Miyo-chan!" Kyoko tells the Chinese girl. "Jin-kun is such a lucky guy!"

"I know," Bianchi agrees. She blushes and places her cheek in her hand. "I've always wanted to be a June bride…"

"I'd love to be one, too," exclaims Haru.

"But it's not even June!" protests Tsuna. Honestly, things are getting out of hand. Sai, too, appears not in the best state of mind. _He's probably just nervous for his friend_, reasons Tsuna.

"Like that matters," Hana states. "In the mind of a grown woman, it's June whenever she gets married."

"That's absurd…"

"Yeah! Just like how I'm always EXTREME!" Ryohei shouts energetically.

"Don't act like they're anywhere close, turf top!" Gokudera yells back. The others notice he's wearing dark shades inside. And…that's probably why he's not facing the others.

"What was that, tako-head?!"

"Not now, you two," Tsuna tries to calm them down. "This is a day for celebration. Please don't fight." He pauses for a moment, realizing something. "Eh? Gokudera-kun, you're alright with Bianchi around?"

"Yep, Juudaime!" The silver-haired boy immediately perks up, pointing to his shades and getting up close to Yamamoto, whom he mistakes for Tsuna.

"Anyway, even though Jinny and I are getting married now, our marriage won't be legalized until we have a traditional Chinese wedding, miyaa," adds Miyo. "Won't you come when all of this is over, miyaa?" Only those in the mafia know the deeper meaning of 'all of this'.

"Really, desu~?!" Haru exclaims. "Wow! Haru can't wait to see the traditional costumes, desu~! Haru wants to have a traditional Japanese wedding. And for the reception…I'll dress up as a wedding cake!"

"Amazing, miyaa! I'd love to watch that!"

"**Jie-Jie?**" a small voice speaks up shyly. Tsuna turns and sees I-Pin staring up at Miyo, mouth agape. Immediately, the little girl runs over to Miyo and hugs her, smiling.

While shocked at first, Miyo's face loosens into a gentle smile. Miyo kneels down and wraps her arms around the little girl, comforting her.

"**It's been such a long time, Mei-Mei,**" Miyo whispers gently. No one but Sai can understand what the two are saying to each other, and he doesn't explain. Rather, he starts to usher the boys out of the room. Tsuna and the others reluctantly leave. When they're outside, Gokudera grabs Sai's wrist harshly.

"Dammit! Are you gonna tell us how you know I-Pin or not, piercing idiot?" he growls at Sai.

"I'll tell ya when Jin and Mei want me to tell ya!" Sai retorts back. "If you haven't forgotten, both of them are future bosses. I can't jus' go 'gainst their orders!" Then he becomes serious and looks away. "Sorry guys, I just can't tell you until Jin or Mei want to. 'Sides, I wasn't there when it happened." He abruptly ends. "Anyway, let's go see how my idiot of a boss Jin and Reborn-sama are doing."

Sai takes off ahead of them so the others don't have a chance to ask more.

"Hey, Tsuna, I'm going to go wait with the others," Yamamoto tells him. He suddenly grabs Gokudera's arm. "You too, Gokudera!"

"O-oi! Let go of me, baseball freak!" Gokudera protests. But when it becomes clear that Yamamoto's not about to let go, he calls, "I'll meet up with you later, Juudaime!"

In a few moments, Tsuna and Sai reach the room where Reborn and Jin are preparing. When they enter, however, they see only Jin, who sits in an armchair, chin resting between intertwined fingers. He appears deep in thought until he realizes there are visitors.

"W-welcome, Sai, Tsunayoshi-kun," he greets them shakily. Like Miyo, Jin wears a gold-trimmed crimson suit, unlike the more traditional black or white. He has his long black hair up in a top knot held together by a gold headpiece.

"Something wrong, Jin?" Sai immediately asks. "You'd better not be thinking of standing Miyo up. You know how crushed she'd be."

"I would _never_ do that, Sai!" Jin protests vehemently. Sai waves his hands in a calming manner. Jin looks away, downcast. "Sorry. I…I'm just not sure if I'm ready for this…" He suddenly realizes the gravity of those words. "Please don't tell Miyo I said that!"

"Don't worry; I won't," says Sai.

"T-thank you…"

"Because _you_ will be."

"WHAT?!" Jin jumps to his feet, shocked. He nearly knocks over a vase of flowers in his rush. "I-I can't just tell—what are you thin—you can—I'm not even supposed to talk to her until the actual vows!"

"_That's_ what you settle with sayin'?!" Sai shouts back. He sighs and shakes his head. "You can be so stupid sometimes, Jin. Anyway, where's Reborn-sama?"

"…ah, him?" Jin jerks his thumb over to another armchair where Reborn lounges. Tsuna can't believe he hadn't been kicked the moment he entered the room. "He is over there…I think."

"What do you mean 'you think'?!"

"Well, he's been sitting there silently for the past hour," Jin explains uneasily. "I have tried talking to him, but he didn't respond. It is impossible to tell whether or not Reborn-sama is asleep. He's just staring into space…"

Walking over to the hitman, Tsuna admires the small white suit and red rose the other wears with his spiked up black hair.

"Whoa! It's just like they say clothes do make the man!" remarks Tsuna. "But you should've told me you were getting married." When the hitman tutor doesn't respond, Tsuna tilts his head to the side in confusion.

"See what I mean?" asks Jin. "I was hoping to ask him for advice, yet…"

"Hey…Reborn?" Tsuna grips Reborn's left shoulder and shakes him gently, but his tuxedoed arm suddenly pops off.

Complete silence.

Then…

"IT CAME OFF!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Oh, dear…"

Right as the trio freaks out at the dismembered arm of the hitman tutor, the dark wooden door bursts open, revealing a panicked blonde with messy hair and wearing a gray dress suit. The young man's warm brown eyes widen in anticipation.

"Who's there?!" he shouts. Seeing Tsuna, the dirty blonde young man relaxes his stance, placing a hand over his rapidly beating heart. "Oh, it's Tsuna."

"Dino-san!" Tsuna cries, cradling Reborn's arm in his palms and turning to Dino with tears lining his eyes. "R-Reborn's arm! His arm!"

"Oh, I know," replies Dino, overly calm for the situation, "because this is a doll."

"A-a doll?! Then where's the real Reborn?!"

"He didn't come," Dino informs him. "In fact, you could say he ran away."

"The groom ran away?!"

"That sounds like a good idea," murmurs Jin. Dino turns to the Chinese boy suddenly, surprised at his appearance.

"Why is the 'Golden Dragon of China' here?" wonders Dino.

"It's never 'oh, nice to meet you,' is it?" Sai grumbles. "Always just 'why are you here?'"

"Stop complaining, Sai," Jin chastises him. Then he addresses Dino, holding out his hand. "I am Yang Jin-Wei, and my companion here is Moriyama Sai. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bucking Bronco Dino."

"Uh…you, too," Dino replies, taking and shaking Jin's hand.

"Now that that's out of the way…" Sai starts. "What the hell did you mean by a doll?!"

"Right, right!" Taking the arm from Tsuna, Dino replaces the doll piece on the fake Reborn. "Anyway, when I called to congratulate him, he told me that he didn't know anything about a wedding, and that Bianchi was in a really good mood when he woke up from his nap. So, I think what happened was that Bianchi asked him, and he nodded 'yes' in his sleep."

"Then it was all a misunderstanding on Bianchi's part?!" screams Tsuna in disbelief. "And if Bianchi finds out that Reborn ran away…"

"Yeah," confirms Dino. "She'll go berserk and kill everyone present. And if we try to stop the wedding, it'll be the same."

"And so, for a 'replacement', you brought in a doll?" Jin concludes. Placing a hand on his chin, he looks off into thought. "Perhaps.."

Sai bluntly smacks his friend on the back of his head. "Don't even think 'bout it, stupid boss," he grumbles. The two focus back on the conversation, at which point Tsuna is freaking out at how lifelike the doll is. Meanwhile, Dino holds a large white controller that

"I've already sent someone to look for Reborn," Dino continues, "so now we can use the doll to hold out for as long as we can."

Somewhere else in the church, the hallowed sound of an organ echoes through the walls, signaling the beginning of the wedding. Sai glances at Jin, a nervous sweat drop sliding down his cheek.

"Hey, stupid boss," says Sai, "better get goin'." Then he grins mischievously. "Don't wanna keep your fiancé waiting, do ya?"

"R-right, I suppose I should get going," Jin replies. But he continues to stand in the one spot. "I'll be on my way…riiiiight now."

"You're not moving, stupid Jin."

"I seem to be stuck to this spot."

"Then let me help you." Swiftly, Sai appears behind his friend and shoves Jin with all his might in the direction of the door. Jin, not expecting it, loses his balance and stumbles forward and out of the room with a _crash!_

"Thanks for the help, Sai," Jin calls from the hallway.

"No problem, stupid boss."

* * *

As a pianist begins to play a lively tune, rather than the eerie-sounding traditional music, all heads turn to the tall French doors leading into the chapel. Immediately, an air of awe settles upon the spectators as Bianchi strolls down the aisle, cradling the Reborn doll in her arms and smiling gently.

Tsuna, knowing full well that the Reborn is merely a doll, gives a wobbly smile, while Gokudera rapidly moves his head around because of his pitch black sunglasses. All the while, the brunette wonders, _What kind of wedding lets the bride carry the groom?!_ The answer is: none of them do.

While random thoughts are zooming around in his mind, another pair enters the wide open doors. This time, Jin and Miyo promenade slowly, very slowly, down the soft white aisle towards the altar. Jin still appears nervous, while Miyo smiles seemingly obliviously. However, after a few steps, the ex-Boss inhales a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Then, with all the courage he can muster,

Jin stops walking.

Right away, Miyo knows something is wrong and turns back to Jin. "What's wrong, miyaa?" she wonders. Jin starts to quiver, losing his resolution.

Drawing Miyo close to himself, Jin whispers to her, "I-I…I'm sorry, Mei-chan, b-but I'm just not ready f-for this." He shuts his eyes tight, expecting some harsh words, a laugh, or even a slap, but none of it comes. Instead, he sees her smile at him knowingly, as though encouraging him to continue.

"It's just…" Jin continues, gaining a bit of confidence. "Well, we're not even of legal age yet, and I cannot get my…parents to give us their blessing, and—"

Miyo quickly places a finger to his lips, halting his words. A deep scarlet tints his cheeks, and Miyo giggles. "Just say it, Jin."

As she removes her finger, Jin nods. "Then I'll be perfectly honest with you, Mei-chan. I don't believe either of us are ready to take this challenge as of yet. I must focus on finding my Guardians, while you must concentrate on your studies and becoming a wonderful boss. If marriage means settling down, I'm afraid I cannot choose that path. I offer my sincerest apologies for, erm, 'standing you up' after you set up this wonderful wedding, Mei-chan."

"Silly Jin," she remarks, tapping him on the head. "I knew all of that, miyaa! I never intended for us to get married!"

"Wait…w-what?"

Miyo glances away, still smiling, but uncharacteristically quiet. "The truth is, miyaa, I set this up as a test," she tells him hesitantly.

"A test?" Jin echoes. "For what?"

"It may sound silly, miyaa, but I was really worried that while you were gone from China, that you would forget about me," Miyo admits. Then, hastily, she amends her statement, waving her arms around wildly. "But now I know that that'd never happen! 'Cause my Jinny—"

One chaste peck on the cheek is all it takes for Miyo to stop talking. Her entire face turns a bright shade of pink.

"I shall never forget you, Mei," Jin assures her. "Rather, it is impossible to."

"Heehee, silly Jin!"

And in the following moments, Jin gazes into Miyo's eyes lovingly. In turn, Miyo gazes at Jin. Jin then gazes at Miyo who gazes at him gazing at her gazing at him. In the audience, spectators watch the scene as the two don't watch them back.

"Are you two goin' get married or what?" Sai yells at them.

Jin and Miyo exchange a glance before chuckling at Sai's outburst.

* * *

The rest of the wedding passes smoothly with Jin and Miyo holding hands and sitting next to Sai as they watch Bianchi and 'Reborn' light a pure white candle while holding one candle together. Bianchi doesn't even seem to notice the lack of reaction from 'Reborn' when the lit wax candle somehow finds its way onto the top of his spiky black hair.

Even so, the vows are made without further incidents. How that is possible, Tsuna doesn't even want to start to think about it. Luckily, though, the plan continues without a hitch.

That is, until it comes time to cut the cake.

The cake made for the wedding is no mere pastry. No, the Vongola, or rather, the so-called 'Clam Bakery' spared no expense to create the most extravagant cake possible. Decorated with orange clamshells, the dozen-tiered cake towers over even the tallest guests. Before the cake is cut, though, the bride and groom must light each of the table's candles together.

As this is occurring, Hana is talking to a ten-years-older Lambo, who suddenly poofs away into pink smoke, revealing a younger Lambo, to which Hana doesn't take kindly to, as she grab's the boy's shirt and hurls him over at Shamal, who, as usual, is flirting with the ladies until the five-year-old hitman whacks him in the head, and he crashes into the hostess' tray of drinks, spilling the sparkling orange beverage on a random lady's dress, to which Dino feels he must help out, but then the blonde trips and falls without his men around, while at the same time, Gokudera sees his sisters face and "GAAAAHHH!"'s, dropping the remote, onto which Dino faceplants, short-circuiting the Reborn doll, causing Bianchi to ask a shuddering Reborn, "What's wrong, Reborn", who yells, "Oil spew!" and spits flames into her face. Bianchi doesn't even flinch when her entire face is singed.

And while this is going on, Miyo rests her head on Jin's shoulder, silently conversing their feelings to one another, oblivious to their chaotic environment.

Then all of hell breaks loose.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Bianchi roars, hair twisting into snakes. Berserk rage, activated. "WHERE IS REBORN?!"

"I'm right here," his squeaky voice answers from a waiter's mouth. Everyone turns (sans Jin and Miyo) to the man in confusion until the face disconnects robotically and Reborn appears from inside the hollow interior. "Ciao-su."

After that, Tsuna would've expected Bianchi to transform into a bridezilla, wreaking havoc on anyone and anything involved with the scheme. Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened.

Instead, Bianchi tears off the dress (revealing a formal purple dress underneath) and tosses it to Tsuna's mother, who looks to and from the dress and Bianchi. The lights abruptly dim again (when did they turn on?), and two people on a platform are lowered as confetti showers down. On the platform in a white suit is Tsuna's father, whom he hadn't seen since the Varia came to town.

So, in the end, Jin and Miyo didn't get married, Bianchi nearly tore the whole place down, and Sawada Nana finally got her wedding picture in which the groom wore a suit.

Just another typical day with the Vongola Family. And yes, the cake was eaten.

* * *

**Omake**: While the reception for Sawada Iemitsu and Nana is happening, black smoke envelops a single corner of the room. Immediately, the people present are on edge, but Jin walks over to the smoke with Miyo, grinning.

"I'm glad you could make it, Hazé," he tells the white-haired boy that appears. "Though, all of the vows have been said."

"I know, boss-chan," Hazé responds. Then he chuckles eerily. "Kehehe…I've been watching you."

"You've been watching us?"

"That is classified."

"Did you just call my Jinny 'chan'?!" Miyo shouts at Hazé. Marching up to him angrily, hands on hips, she wags an indignant finger at the Black Tortoise.

"Oh dear," Jin understates. Thankfully for him, Hazé doesn't seem the slightest bit affected.

"So this is your un-wife?" he asks Jin, smirking. "Intersting."

"What's that supposed to mean, miyaa?" Miyo demands.

"It's just that your 'Jinny' here proposed to _me_ already, kehehe."

"WHAT?!" Hazé smirks at the intended reactions from both Jin and Miyo, who are (to be as cliché and redundant as possible) as red as red tomatoes. Miyo turns to Jin furiously, Lotus Bangles enlarging. With one fist, she grips Jin's suit and lifts him up into the air.

"What does he mean by that, _miyaa_?"

"I honestly have no idea!" Jin replies frantically. He stares at Sai for help. "Sai, help your boss out here."

"Nah, I don't think so," Sai says nonchalantly. Instead, he whips out a camera and starts to snap pictures of Miyo hurling Jin into a table, where splinters fly every which way. Rubbing the back of his head, Jin backs away from Miyo, who slowly advances towards him. Then he realizes what Hazé is talking about.

"Mei-chan," he says, voice wavering. "I have an idea of what Hazé is talking about."

"Is that so, miyaa?"

"Yes, he's merely talking about when I asked for him to become my Black Warrior," Jin answers. "He's just teasing us."

Miyo glares at Hazé, who raises his hands in defense. "Kehehe, you guys are no fun at all," he snickers.

The effect is immediate. Miyo rushes over to Jin, kneels down, and nearly strangles the Chinese boy in an embrace.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for doubting you, Jinny!" she apologizes enthusiastically.

"That's—urk!—okay, Mei-chan," replies Jin.

"Well, I'm outta here," Hazé announces, black smoke engulfing him once more. "You two play nice, kehehe."

"What're you implying?!" Jin splutters.

"That is classified, kehehe…"

The next day, Miyo decided to return to China to continue her studies, leaving the class to wonder where all these transfer students came from and why they only stayed for a few days before leaving.

Incidentally, the Black Tortoise mysteriously disappeared from the face of the Earth for unknown reasons the same day.

* * *

A/N: I honestly don't like how this chapter turned out, so sorry if you got bored halfway through. I think it was too rushed near the end, but I really wanted to finish this chapter and move on. Truthfully, I had to do a little research on weddings here (I've only been to one that I can remember, and it really wasn't that memorable for me). My failure at humor shines through once again!

Er-hrm...Anyway, what kind of dying will flames do you think Jin, Sai, Hazé, and Miyo would have?

In conclusion!: Please review, fave, criticize, compliment, follow, ignore, read, and/or all of the above, but, as always, thanks for reading!


	13. April 17

**Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 12: April 17

For the first time in a long time (precisely a year, in fact), Jin wakes up, only to want to bury deep in the covers of his bed and disappear from the world.

Pulling the covers over himself up to his nose, Jin stares into the early morning darkness of his room, wanting to return to the blissful dreams of a better past, when his family was together. He misses those times. When his mother would call him downstairs for a breakfast that she insisted she make, despite them having numerous servants. When his father, the former boss of the Jijie Mafiad, would show him the interworking of the criminal society and then spar with Jin. When everything was set out before him in a set path to becoming a boss.

He misses when everything was easy enough not to worry about anything but training.

He misses the times when they were alive.

Now those times are gone.

Jin abruptly throws back the covers and throws his legs over the side of the bed. Then he pauses, as though pondering what to do next. _If only that had not happened…_Placing a palm on his forehead, shadowing his dark eyes, he scolds himself.

He cannot lose himself to self-pity. Not even in the darkness and solitude. For a triad boss to show fear or morose would be to show weakness in honor and pride. At least, that was what his 'brothers' told him. Even now, on _this_ day, he keeps his cool as he always has.

April 17th.

Those very words had become a spiteful curse in Jin's mind.

Getting to his bare feet, Jin strolls over to the window of the small apartment he and Sai had rented anonymously. Dully, he notices how overcast the sky appears, the bright morning sun not even daring to reach over the horizon.

"Rain," he remarks to no one. Unconsciously, his hand rests on the dragon tattoo branded on his right arm. The mark of a boss. His only connection to his father.

Thunder grumbles impatiently in the distance, snapping Jin out of his thoughts. Only then does he glance at the clock, which reads: 4:09. Jin sighs. Much too early for school, much too late to return to sleep. Not that he plans to attend school today.

After all, today is his birthday…and the day his parents died.

Oh, the irony.

* * *

At school, the overcast weather creates a sleepy mood inside the classroom. The students find it not difficult at all to doze off during lessons, and even the teacher suppresses an occasional yawn (A/N: you just yawned, didn't you?).

Tsuna, instead of paying attention, drifts around in his thoughts. _I'm so glad that wedding disaster is finally over! Things can finally go back to normal._ He glances at Gokudera and Yamamoto, who both lounge about, one leaning conspicuously on the back of his chair, the other hiding his sleepiness behind a raised book. A content smile appears on his face. His gaze wanders to the window, where the first few drops of rain fall, and hopes he brought an umbrella. With his luck, he probably forgot to bring one, then Gokudera would offer his own, and Yamamoto would laugh it off and share the umbrella with Tsuna, making the former furious. _Just like Gokudera-kun…_

Lost in his train of thoughts, Tsuna hardly notices when the class period changes, and the short break begins. As if on cue, the students immediately begin to chatter amongst themselves. Tsuna finds himself joined by Gokudera and Yamamoto a moment later.

"Yo, Tsuna, today was really boring, ne?" Yamamoto asks, laughing.

"Yeah," replies Tsuna, distractedly. Something feels off to the brunette, but he can't put his finger on it. Like something's missing.

"Baseball idiot," Gokudera grumbles, "you're the only one who thinks it was boring."

"Oh, yeah, Tsuna, Gokudera, my old man made extra sushi last night," Yamamoto says. "You wanna come and eat sushi after school?"

"Idiot! Juudaime wouldn't want to—"

"Alright," Tsuna cuts in. He looks at Gokudera with large, pleading eyes and tells him, "Please, Gokudera-kun? You know you like Yamamoto-san's sushi, too."

Said bomber nearly melts at this.

"O-of course, Juudaime! I, as your right-hand man, shall accompany to the baseball idiot's dad's restaurant!" he declares.

"Great!" remarks Yamamoto. "I'll see if Moriyama and Yang want to come, too!"

"Oh! That's what it is!" Tsuna suddenly realizes what's missing. He glances around quickly, looking for the Jijie duo. "Where are Jin-kun and Sai-kun?"

"Need something, Sawada?" Sai asks as he comes up to the group.

Tsuna nods. "Do you want to go over to Yamamoto's for sushi later?" he asks. "Jin-kun can…where's Jin-kun?"

"He's…" For once, Sai doesn't answer gruffly. Instead, he glances away, eyes downcast. His hand reaches into his pocket, crumpling something. "It's actually…Jin's birthday today."

"So why aren't you two idiots celebrating then?" Gokudera asks smirking.

"'Cause I dunno where 'e went!" Sai retorts. "He left before I got up today…Wait. Is there a shrine nearby?"

"Yeah," answers Tsuna. "It's on the hill on the far side of town."

Sai glances at the window, frowning at the storm that is forming. "Dammit, how could I forget?" he grumbles. "Stupid Jin. You should've just told me." Sai abruptly dashes for the door, sliding it open effortlessly. Pausing, he turns back and calls to the group, "I'll see you guys later, Sawada, Yamamoto, _tako-head_!" before leaving the classroom and a fuming Gokudera behind.

_KKRRRCCKK!_

The lights flicker as thunder resounds deeply throughout the area, followed by an intense flash of lightning. An excited murmur washes over the class at the sight. A moment later, a light drizzle splatters across the windows, blending the view. A scrap of paper gracefully floats down on a desk near Tsuna, and he picks it up.

"What's that, Juudaime?" Gokudera asks him.

"I think Sai-kun dropped it," Tsuna replies. He glances over the paper, but since it's written in Mandarin can't make heads or tails of it, except for the words 'Private' and 'others'. "But I can't read it. It's in Chinese."

Gokudera takes the slip of paper in his hands and examines the characters, but he, too, cannot read it.

"Um, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko's voice pops in. Looking up, Tsuna sees the bright girl and Hana standing nearby. Without meaning to, he blushes.

"Y-yes, Kyoko-chan?" he asks, mentally slapping himself for stuttering in front of his crush.

"Where was Sai-kun going in such a hurry?"

"Ah, we don't know," Tsuna answers truthfully. "He said it was Jin-kun's birthday right before he left."

"It's Jin-kun's birthday?" asks Kyoko. Then she smiles. "Then how about we buy a cake for him?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, Jin-kun and Sai-kun are celebrating alone, right?" Kyoko continues. "And Jin-kun has seemed a bit sad these past few days."

Now that she mentions it, the three boys think back to Jin's strange behavior. After Miyo left for China, Jin seemed to calm down exponentially, but the others would find him staring into space as if in a daze every once in a while. When they asked him what was wrong, he merely smiled and said, "It's nothing to be concerned about."

But now, with both Jin and Sai gone, Tsuna wonders if it's something he should be worried about.

"Hahaha, sounds like a good idea!" remarks Yamamoto. "What'dyou think, Tsuna?"

"S-sure!"

"I'll go if Juudaime's going."

"Great!" Kyoko says. "Let's go to the cake shop after school then!"

* * *

Resting on the steps under the gabled grey roof of Namimori Shrine, Jin clasps his hands together as though in prayer. As he couldn't really return to China to visit his parents' graves, he settled with the nearby shrine. Around him, the rain falls steadily, tip-toeing across the stone slats of the roof like tears hitting the ground. Yet, Jin doesn't take notice of this. His gaze is shadowed, lost in memories of the past.

_It was the first time in a long time that Jin's father, the 9th boss of the Jijie Triad, had a clear schedule without any meeting with allies, shipments of illicit technology, or people to kill (they _are _in a crime group, remember). At the time, Jin had only been six years old, but he had already started training. It was when he was sparring with a much younger Shen when his father came to visit._

Jin smiles softly, reminiscing when he and his cousin were not rivals and enemies. Those times would never return to them, as much as Jin would like to hope.

_Jin listened to as his father proposed a picnic, an idea so foreign, it made no sense in the six-year-old's mind. Picnics were those outings that families on TV went on, not a Triad boss and his family. Certainly, the risks were far too great to even consider a picnic._

_After Jin voiced these thoughts, his father laughed good-naturedly in his deep voice that had often calmed Jin. His father joked that Jin was too serious for a youngster, and that a picnic would remedy that. With the encouragement of his mother, Jin agreed. After all, they reasoned, one's birthday should be a day for relaxing._

If only he had been more serious and declined, Jin thinks, brow furrowing. If only he had known what was to take place. If only he knew that those bodyguards were part of a future coup set with the task to kill the boss and his family. There are too many ifs for Jin's liking.

_The day had been beautiful outside – sunny with a slight breeze, puffy white clouds floating across the sky, a wide grassy lawn._ _Spreading a blanket out, Jin's father asked how things were for the two, chucking at Jin's mother's wild antics and waving arms. Caught up in the airiness, she took Jin's father's hands in her own and began to dance across the grass, and the two shared a laugh as they stumbled over each other's feet and fell to the ground. Jin smiled at the sight, then glanced over at the men in suits standing off to the side, but took no action. At his side rested his training sword, a jian, which he brought with him everywhere as a habit. Looking back at his parents, he wished he'd brought his Sai-lo, his 'little brother'._

Thinking of Sai, Jin wonders if the scene would have played out any differently. Probably not.

_As with any six-year-old, Jin's parent's conversations did not interest Jin much, so he wandered off to find wildflowers that his mother would like. Unlike his father, whom he admired, Jin adored his mother, who was constantly in his life. Yet, she always seemed saddened by something that Jin could not yet understand. So, with a child's determination, Jin would try to cheer her up._

What if he hadn't wandered off? Would he even be here now?

_Distracted, Jin (with his sword) strolled closer to the trees after spotting the perfect yellow flower. He began to pick them without much thought. Before long, though, he found himself a distance away from his parents. Of course, being a child, he knew that if he cried, his parents would immediately find him. But he was also told that Triad bosses did not cry. And if Jin was ever going to succeed his father, he couldn't cry, not even now._

_Determined to find his parents, Jin set off in the direction he thought he came from. But suddenly, a resounding gunshot followed by piercing shriek echoed through the air. Flowers forgotten, Jin darted toward the noise, dodging branches and rocks as he ran. That scream was his mother's._

Gritting his teeth, Jin reproaches himself for not being able to do anything.

_Upon reaching the clearing, Jin's mind completely blanked. His mother, his dear mother, lay lifelessly across the grass, white blouse blossoming with scarlet. His father, his admired father, knelt, arms restrained by a muscular man in a suit, screaming his wife's name. But he did not cry, for triad leaders did not cry._

_The weight of his sword on his belt seemed to increase with every shout. But his entire body felt numb, unable to move even an inch from the horrific scene._

Even if he did move, would he have been able to fight the armed men?

_Jin watched as his father was slammed to the ground with the rear of a gun. The same man then took aim and fired four shots into his father's head. The world seemed to freeze for Jin. None of it seemed real. None of it _could_ be real…right? His father, his strong and powerful triad boss of a father, couldn't have been killed so easily. And his mother…_

_Something inside the six-year-old snapped then. Eyes wide with wild ferocity, Jin took hold of his blad and, holding it at his side, charged at the man hiding behind a gun. His screams alerted the suited men, who then turned to him, guns pointed in his direction. Jin stiffened, but nonetheless continued his suicidal attack. Then, all he could see was yellow. Gold. A warming strength rushed through him, and he could suddenly see the bullets rushing at him as though they were moving in slow motion. With swift slashes, the bullets fell to the ground, sliced in half and still smoking._

_By now the men were astounded. No child should be able to slice bullets in half, let alone react so quickly. And what kind of child abruptly had eyes that shone gold? The man with the gun had no time to question it as within the next second, he felt the cutting end of a blade protrude through his chest. The strange child had lunged at him, both hands on the sword, and speared through the man with no hesitation._

Lightning suddenly lights up the entire area, but Jin take no notice.

_Swiftly pulling out his blade, Jin leaped backwards and out of the way of the man's companions who also wielded guns. He fell into a fighting stance, determined to go down fighting, but he hadn't needed to. The two of them suddenly went down, but not by the boy's hand._

_Men from his triad, true followers of his father, had heard the gunshots. As guns were nearly prohibited in the triads (they were considered dishonored weapons), they knew something was wrong and rushed to the scene. But they were far too late._

Thunder rumbles in the distance.

_Jin's parents were declared dead the same day, dying not from the bullet wounds themselves, but from the blood loss that followed. How quickly and abruptly the day that was supposed to be one of relaxation turned to one of death. His 'Sai-lo' and Shen had come over to console him, but Jin had never felt more alone._

_On his birthday, his parents had died._

_At the age of six, he first took the life of another human being._

The ground shakes under the force of thunder that reverberates through the town.

* * *

The six of them (Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko, and Haru – Hana decided not to go with the monkeys) stare at the row after row of cakes, pies, and pastries laid out in glass shelves at the cake shop. Immediately, Kyoko and Haru dash up to the display with sparkling eyes.

"Look at all the cakes, desu~!" exclaims Haru. She looks at her stomach and frowns. "But it's not Haru's Appreciation Day."

"We can make an exception for today, right?" Kyoko asks her, smiling.

"Haru likes that idea, desu~!"

The three boys there stare in confusion as the girls name all sorts of desserts, pointing each and every one of them out.

"Ne, Tsuna-kun? What kind of cake do you think Jin-kun and Sai-kun would like?" Kyoko asks. Tsuna's fairy certain that the duo would like anything the group bought for Jin, but doesn't say this. Best not to ruin their cheerful mood.

"Um…how about vanilla?" he says uncertainly.

"Nah, Haru thinks chocolate is better, desu~," the girl immediately disagrees. _Is there any way I could've been right?_ Tsuna wonders.

In the end, after much discussion, they finally decide on a small marble cake with white icing and decorative frosting in the design of sakura and branches. After paying for it, the group leaves the brightly lit shop into the grey and damp outside. They quickly open up their umbrellas, and the scene Tsuna thought of earlier plays out.

"I should share the umbrella with Juudaime!" Gokudera protests as Yamamoto uses his to cover himself and Tsuna.

"C'mon, Gokudera," Yamamoto laughs him off. "My place isn't too far from here. Tsuna'll be fine sharing an umbrella with me."

"Hahi! Haru wants to share an umbrella with Tsuna-san!" Haru protests. Before anyone else can object, she grabs Tsuna's arm and walks with him under her bright green umbrella. _But I want to share an umbrella with Kyoko-chan! _Tsuna protests mentally.

Several minutes later, they reach a small sushi shop with a sign that states 'Take Sushi'. For a moment, they all stand there, unsure of what to do, until Yamamoto breaks the silence with his usual laughter.

"What're you guys just standing there for?" he asks cheerfully. "C'mon in!"

The interior of the shop is fairly simple, with a single, light bamboo counter full of numerous colorful types of sushi and sashimi. Tables are arranged around the room, several of them full.

"Welcome to Take Sushi!" a man wearing an apron and a white headband over short black hair calls from behind the counter.

"Yo, pops!" Yamamoto calls back.

"I see you've brought your friends, Takeshi!" remarks Yamamoto-san. "Here to eat sushi then? By the way, is that boy over there a friend of yours?" He jerks his thumb over to a figure crouched over in the corner of the room, sulking. His dark blue hair seems familiar to Tsuna.

"Isn't that Sai-kun?" Kyoko asks.

"He's been here for a few hours now," Yamamoto-san continues. "He asked where you guys were, then ordered some sushi while he was waiting. He asked what sushi was made out of! Can you believe that? Anyway, after I told him, he freaked out, and he's been over there ever since."

The group listens in disbelief. That _has _to be Sai. Who else has a phobia of fish? Walking over to the crouched over boy, Tsuna taps him on the shoulder.

"Um, Sai-kun?"

Immediately, Sai jumps to his feet and faces them. "I didn't scream like a little girl when I ate that horrific sea creature!" he denies in a suspiciously specific manner. Then he calms down. "Oh, it's you guys."

"What do you mean 'oh, it's you guys'?" Gokudera shouts at him. "Didn't you say that you were going to the shrine?" Sai turns his gaze, grimacing. "Don't tell me; you got lost?"

"So what if I did, _tako_-head?" Sai retorts. "Anyway, I've been waitin' for you guys for a while. Where'd you go?"

"We—"

"Never mind! We have to go find Jin now!" Without waiting for the others, Sai grabs Tsuna's wrist and drags the brunette out of the shop. Behind them, Gokudera protests, and Yamamoto laughs., but the two follow closely behind. Kyoko and Haru quickly catch up to them with their umbrellas.

With directions from Gokudera (Tsuna easily gets lost), the group of six finally reach the bottom of the gray stone steps leading up to Namimori shrine and the _torii_. Sai takes off ahead of them, sprinting up the stairs with unnatural ease.

When they reach the landing of the hilltop shrine, they pause upon seeing Jin resting his arms on his knees, hands clasped together and eyes closed. He stills under the edge of the shrine's roof, but a few drops of water fall from his hair every few moments.

As though sensing their presences, the Chinese boy's eyes suddenly snap open. Getting to his feet, Jin offers them an apologetic smile.

"I suppose you are wondering why I did not attend school today, correct?" he asks lightly. "I…merely needed a break."

"How long have you been out here, Jin? Sai demands.

"I believe since six this morning," Jin replies simply. "Did you not receive my note? I thought that—"

"Enough excuses, Jin." Crossing his arms, Sai continues, "Why did you come out here?"

"You know full well that it's my birthday, Sai," replies Jin, losing his smile. "Or are you saying you forgot?"

"I didn't forget, Jin. That's why they—" Sai gestures to the others—"wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

"A…happy birthday?" Jin echoes in a deadly silent voice. Then he marches straight up to his friend and grabs his collar. His voice heightens as he demands, "I've known you for _how _long, and you still believe that I can be 'happy' on my birthday? My parents died on this day, Sai! On my freaking birthday!" Internally, Jin berates himself for losing his temper, but cannot find a way to stop. The others there watch in confused awe at the scene of Jin yelling at his friend.

"I know, Jin," Sai mumbles in reply, but his gaze is on the ground.

"Oh, you know, do you?" Jin lets go of Sai and takes a step back. "Then do you understand how it feels to be under constant scrutinization and pressure from those who expect only the best from you just because of who your family is? Do you know how lonely I am on _this day_ without anyone besides you who actually cares?Do you know how terrible it feels to have to suppress your emotions simply to appear tough? _Simply to survive_?"

By the time Jin has finished with his rant, his voice as lowered, and the rain around them has lightened. He stares at Sai pleadingly, as though trying to get the boy to say that, yes, he has experienced all these tumultuous emotions. But instead, Sai only has two words for Jin:

"…That all?"

Jin looks at Sai in bewilderment. Has he not just heard his questions? "I suppose," answers he unsurely. Immediately, a fist pounds itself down onto Jin's head. Touching his now bruised head, Jin stares in complete shock and slight hurt at Sai. "What was that for?"

"Stupid Jin," Sai grumbles. "You should've told me what was going on it that head of yours! You don't have to keep everything to yourself, you know?! You're among friends, who'll never ask more from you than what you're capable of. We won't judge you. Give _us_ your burden, or actually, give _me _your burden, and _I'll_ take care of it. You're not alone. I…Just…forget it! I'm not making any sense! I'm no good at making speeches."

"Sai…?"

"Um…I think what Sai-kun was trying to say, Jin-kun," Tsuna finally speaks up, a bit hesitantly, "is that you should just be yourself."

For some reason, those words strike a chord within Jin, who pauses. No one had ever told him that. It was always, 'A boss should always remain courteous', 'a boss should never show fear'. Those seemingly foreign words frightened him, for if he isn't the boss, then who is he? And yet, they filled him with comfort.

And for the first time in eight years, Jin allows himself to cry. For himself, and for his parents. And it feels as though all that pent up pressure finally lifts.

Someone hands him a handkerchief, which he takes gratefully. Using it to wipe his eyes, he hands it back to its owner, who happens to be Kyoko. Smiling as cordially as he can, he bows respectfully, one hand behind his back.

"Thank you, Kyoko-chan," he says.

"That's alright, Jin-kun," she replies.

Then he turns to the others. "My sincerest apologies and gratitude, all of you, my…friends," Jin tells them, bowing once more, eliciting a stammering Tsuna, a laughing Yamamoto, and a slightly exasperated Sai.

A ray of sunshine shines down then, and they realize that the rain has stopped, so they collapse their umbrellas. They smile up at the clearing sky, glad that it's finally stopped raining. Another one-sided argument arises between Gokudera and Yamamoto, then Sai joins in, and Tsuna tries to calm them down, and Kyoko and Haru laugh at their antics. But Jin hardly takes notice of this. Rather, he's lost in his own thoughts once more.

Surrounded by the people he can call his friends, he likes that.

It's nice to know he's not alone.

* * *

A/N: So...it's a bit depressing/angsty, but I had this idea and stuck with it, though I'll admit I don't like the ending as much. As for the previous chapter...let's just forget it ever happened (I dislike it that much). That said, sorry this has been kind of slow plot-wise. I'll try to speed things up a bit. And if this chapter seems kind of cliché, you're not the only one.

Off topic question: I'm not really sure what to call the group that Jin and Sai belong to. It's supposed to be a triad, but it seems to function as a Mafia family. Therefore, it shall now be called a 'Trifia' or a 'Mafiad' (Sorry, I'm tired).

Anyway, most of this is just practice writing, so please comment with any suggestions on how to improve, what I'm doing wrong, what you like/dislike, etc.

Thanks for reading!


	14. Illusions

**Disclaimer: KHR characters and setting belong to Amano Akira.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Illusions

A few days pass, and Jin, Sai, Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto find themselves returning to a usual routine of meeting at school and eating lunch on the roof. During those few days, Jin has gone back to his usual confident self, yet his smiles are less forced than before. It might seem that their days of chaos would finally end.

Of course, none of them have that kind of luck.

* * *

Hazé has been confused for a while now. Ever since Jin, his so-called 'boss-chan', accepted him into their little club, he has felt lighter for some reason. He hasn't gained his revenge yet, but elation fills him. Could it be that those two have become his friends? He smirks at the notion. Even to himself, that answer is classified.

Still, he can't believe that those two, Jin and Sai actually know what they've gotten themselves into. After all, who would be so stupid or crazy to go up against Shen? But that youthful energy just might be enough.

Lost in his musings, Hazé absently pushes through a crowd of people in Namimori's shopping district. However, as he's currently enshrouded in illusions, people take one look at flee, screaming delirious nonsense about demons and such. Absentmindedly, he snickers in amusement.

"Kehehe…"

With nothing to do, Hazé heads to the edge of the town towards Kokuyo, where it's rumored that the remnants of a deadly gang live. The rumors admittedly piqued his interest. Maybe it would keep him busy until the boss-chan decided to give him a job.

Hazé walks down the long asphalt road lined on either side by a tall gray wall and vast green fields. The peaceful rural atmosphere might deter others, but its familiarity strikes a chord within him. It reminds him of his home, or rather, his home in the far past.

_He was the youngest of four siblings, unwanted because of his position as fourth. The second and third oldest, his brother and sister, paid him no mind, going as far so to tell others he didn't even exist. Not that he cared. They were insects to him. What happened to them? That's classified._

_It was his oldest brother, Zhang, whom he cared about. But Zhang was often away from the family. Off at his job or something. He never told Hazé where he went. According to Zhang, his business was classified. Not that he cared. It was enough for him that his oldest brother told him stories of his travels._

_And now Zhang was dead. His death, they said, was classified._

Not paying any attention to where he's walking, Hazé bumps into a small figure. _A girl, _he realizes. Zhang always told him to be courteous to girls. Running a hand through his hair, he sighs. "Kehehe, sorry, girlie," he mutters.

"Oya? Who do we have here?" a deep voice muses. Definitely not a girl's voice.

[A challenger appears!]

Hazé takes a step back, wary of this stranger before him. Whoever it is, he has dark blue hair parted in a zigzagged line down the center with a spray of hair in the back. The young man wears an open olive green school uniform with an upraised collar and a multi-colored blue shirt underneath. Catching Hazé's cautious attention, however, are the boy's eyes. One as blue as his hair, the other blood red with the kanji for '6'. A sly smile plays at his lips.

"Kehehe, that's classified," Hazé replies, hiding his wariness of the boy.

"Kufufu, haven't you heard of the name 'Rokudo Mukuro'?"

"Perhaps," Hazé answers. Inside, however, he panics at the name. _Isn't that the name of the guy who escaped from that high-security prison, the Vendicare?_ "Kehehe, perhaps you can tell me, pineapple-head-chan."

"'_Pineapple-head-chan'_?" Mukuro echoes in a deathly silent voice, eyes darkened. A vein pops on his forehead. _Oh, this bastard did _not _just call him that. _His smile remains, but even Hazé can tell it's strained. An overwhelming aura suddenly explodes in the area, and the tension weighs heavily on Hazé's shoulders. A long-handled trident with three spikes materializes in Mukuro's hand. "Kufufu, there won't be anything left for the Mafia to bury."

"Kehehe, you're deadly mistaken if you think I'm in leagues with the Mafia," Hazé replies, smirking.

"Oya? Then who do you associate yourself with, stranger-san?" Mukuro asks, slightly curious. This man is a definite change of pace from the usual crazy Vongola. Perhaps he could have some fun.

"I am Hazé, Black Warrior and Self-Proclaimed Ace Illusionist," Hazé states. Following Mukuro's example, Hazé retrieves his partially-melted _guan dao_ from hammerspace. The black metal has dulled from the heat of the Dying Will flames from the Vongola Tenth, but it remains an effective weapon. "Anything else is classified."

"Well, then, Self-Proclaimed Ace-_chan_, how would you like to see the Six Paths of Hell?" Mukuro continues, drawing out his trident. The kanji on his right eye shifts to a 'four', and violet flames envelop his red eye. Hazé's eyes widen at the sight, but he remains stoic.

"Kehehe, let's see how well that will work, Pineapple-head-_chan_," he retorts as black smoke rises from his feet.

Mukuro wastes no time in his attack, speeding forward with incredible speed, seemingly warping behind Hazé. Drawing his trident back, he drive the spiked end into Hazé, who chokes. Mukuro smirks at his supposed victory. However…

"Kehehe…" Hazé's head suddenly rotates around to face Mukuro, grinning from ear to ear. Literally, the edges of his mouth stretch across his face in a gruesome smile. "Where are you looking?"

Eyes wide in surprise, Mukuro leaps backwards right as Hazé disappears in a cloud of black smoke. Reappearing behind Mukuro, Hazé slashes sideways with his _guan dao_, but the pineapple—er…indigo-haired illusionist swiftly spins around and blocks the blade with the edge of his trident. The two remain at a standoff for a tense moment.

"You're more skilled than I originally thought," remarks Mukuro begrudgingly. Then he sneers. "But not as skilled as my skylark-kun."

_In the Disciplinary Office, Hibari sneezes and realizes how much he'd like to bite a certain pineapple-haired illusionist to death._

Mukuro shoves Hazé backwards, and the white-haired young man stumbles on his feet. Then he drives rapid jabs at Hazé, who hastily draws up his _guan dao_ and jerks it around to block the incoming strikes. In a puff of black smoke, Hazé disappears once more, reappearing on the edge of the concrete fence on the left road of the road.

"Kufufu, is your specialty running away?' Mukuro taunts.

"That's classified."

In response, Mukuro's kanji changes to a 'one', and the flames around his eye disappear. "In that case…" Straightening to his full height, he stabs the end of his trident into the ground.

Abruptly, the wall beneath Hazé's feet quakes, and luminescent lotus vines wrap around him. Hazé struggles to free himself with his _guan dao_, but a vine tears it away from his hands. A sharp jerk, and Hazé crashes to the ground. He glares defiantly up at the indigo-haired teen, who strolls up to him. Mukuro raises his trident, eyes glinting, and holds it poised above Hazé.

"Any last words, Mafia scum?"

"Yeah: What are you talking to?" Mukuro tenses, hearing Hazé's voice from both in front of and behind him. He swiftly thrusts the trident into Hazé, but in a cloud of black smoke, a sign takes Hazé's place. It takes Mukuro one second to read it and one second to react.

_Look behind you, kehehe…_

Mukuro spins on his heels in a second, spreading his weapon in a wide arc right as the partially dulled blade of the _guan dao_ reaches him. However, both weapons freeze not a moment before reaching their targets' throats.

"Not bad, not bad," Hazé remarks, a pained smile on his face.

"Hazé!"

"Mukuro?!"

The two illusionists, without lowering their respective weapons, turn to see five figures running up to them farther down the road. After a moment, they realize the newcomers are Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Jin, and Sai, still in their school uniforms.

"Oya? it would seem we have company," Mukuro remarks. Upon reaching them, the five halt seeing Mukuro and Hazé at each other's throats.

"Rokudo Mukuro, what the hell are you doing?!" Gokudera demands.

"Don't associate yourselves with me, Vongola Storm," Mukuro returns. He turns away from a fuming Gokudera and looks at Hazé. "Just who are you really?"

"I am the end of the Triads." At this, Mukuro stares at him with distrusting frown. _End the Triads?_ Jin's brow furrows in addition, wondering the same as Mukuro. The indigo-haired illusionist's smile returns at the thought, and he lowers his weapon. Warily, Hazé follows suit.

"Kufufu, perhaps we are more alike than I originally thought, Self-Proclaimed Ace-chan," Mukuro remarks. He takes a step back, closing his eyes. White steam seems to emit from his body then, as he returns his trident to his side. "Perhaps we shall meet again in the future…"

The smoke completely engulfs Mukuro, and his shadow appears to diminish into a girl's form. Like Mukuro's, the girl's violet hair is parted and is fashioned into a 'pineapple' style. Tied over her right eye is an eye patch with the design of a gray skull. She wears the girl's version of the Kokuyo uniform. When she full materializes, she starts to descend forward to the ground.

"Ah! Chrome!" Tsuna runs past Hazé, completely ignoring the boy in order to reach Chrome before she falls. Gokudera and Yamamoto hurry behind Tsuna, with Jin and Sai trailing behind in the rear. Hazé glances at the girl before turning to his boss.

"Yo, boss-chan~," he greets Jin. "It's been a while, kehehe."

"Indeed," Jin replies, frowning slightly.

"Enough with the small talk," Sai growls. "What the hell did you mean back there?"

"That is classified, Azure Dragon-chan," Hazé replies, smirking. "You don't really think that just because I'm the Black Warrior that I'll tell you everything about myself, do you? Kehehe…"

"Why you—!"

"Sai," Jin warns his friend. He looks at Hazé and reminds the illusionist, "You are not the Black warrior yet, Hazé. That is precisely the reason for us finding you." Sai whips his gaze to Jin, mouth partially agape.

"So…it's time?" he asks.

"Wait, what's time?" Hazé speaks up, frowning.

Placing a finger to his upturned lips, Jin replies, "That's classified." Seeing Hazé's look of pure disbelief, Jin tilts his head slightly to the side teasingly. "Just kidding."

"Something wrong with boss-chan?" Hazé inquires of Sai.

"Dunno," the navy-haired boy answers. "He's been like this since the beginning of this week."

"Back to the subject, then," Jin continues, serious once again. "In order to initiate Hazé into the position of Black Warrior, we must return to China promptly."

"When do we leave?" asks Hazé, crossing his arms.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"Ehh?!" Tsuna exclaims, nearly falling backwards in his seat. "Jin-kun and Sai-kun are leaving?"

Nodding, Jin replies, "Only temporarily, though, Tsunayoshi-kun. We must leave for…family reasons." Eyes dart to the edge of his vision, and he notices other students walking over to his desk.

"Is it true, Jin-kun?" a girl asks him, eyes moist. "You're leaving Namimori already?"

"Only for now, my dear," he tells her, using two fingers to raise her chin to look her in the eyes. Jin gestures to Sai and himself then. "We were invited to see the Eventide concert with Mei-chan. It would be rather discourteous to refuse such an offer."

"Kyah! You get to see JJ in person!" another girl squeals.

"Who?" wonders another.

"You've never heard of him?"

"His full name's Dominic Jay Jeong, but he goes by 'JJ'. He's just the cutest K-pop singer in Seoul right now!"

As the other students go on to discuss their favorite bands, Tsuna marvels at the easiness with which Jin is able to divert the conversation from himself. Still, he can't help but feel a little sad that the Jijie duo will be leaving soon. Of course, by _family matters_, he knows they mean Family matters.

"It has been fun, Tsunayoshi-kun," Jin's voice cuts into Tsuna's thoughts. The brunette looks up to see Jin extending a hand. Seeing the exasperated look on Tsuna's face, Jin chuckles lightly and takes the hand, shaking it heartily.

"Don't touch Juudaime so familiarly!" protests Gokudera.

"Don't yell at Jin!" returns Sai.

Yamamoto laughs, remarking, "It's just like when we first met!" Tsuna watches in disbelief, and Jin smiles softly.

"Will we see each other again, Jin-kun?" Tsuna inquires.

"Should fate allow it, I should hope so," the ponytailed boy replies. "But even if fate doesn't allow it, I am certain we will meet again. After all, we're friends, right?"

Hearing this, even Gokudera and Sai stop their squabbling to focus their attention on Jin, who has a contented gaze in his eyes. The others return his smile (except for Gokudera, who merely smirks).

"Right."

* * *

A/N: First of all, sorry this is so late. I've been really busy with tests and school and miscellaneous excuse, and recently, I've come down with a writer's worst enemy: writer's block. I initially wanted this to be about Hazé's initiation to the Jijie Mafiad (that's what I'm calling it now), but I couldn't figure out how to transition it. Thus, this chapter.

By the way, anyone read the most recent chapter of Reborn? Honestly, I was kind of disappointed at first, but then decided it was pretty good for the end of an arc, all heartwarming and stuff.

On another note, completely unrelated, do you think it's possible to hear others' thoughts through dreams? That is, I've been 'dreaming' of unwritten reviews about different things, some about not enough KHR character screen time and most recently, about the date in the previous chapter. I don't really know the times/setting in the manga/anime, so I figured it would be okay to skip to April. If you have any thoughts on this, please share.

Anyway, reviews, complaints, comments, suggestions, faves, follows, and/or all of the above are always welcomed. But, as always, thanks for reading!


	15. The Black Warrior

Chapter 14: The Black Warrior

"So you wish to end the Triads, Hazé," Jin remarks lightly, though a dangerous undertone echoes throughout the cabin of the roughed up helicopter. To even claim to overthrow the Family is the greatest form of treason. The punishment: death by five thunderbolts.

In the front of the cabin, Sai glances back at Jin and Hazé, who stare out the window at the sea below. With the help of the white-haired young man and his illusions, the helicopter is all but nonexistent to any radars and, more importantly, Shen.

"Kehehe, that's—"

"Hazé." The young man flinches at Jin's out of character unrelenting voice, and turns to his boss, whose eyes glare gold. _Like two different people_, Hazé thinks. He waves his hand dismissively, relenting.

"Fine, fine, boss-chan," he says. "I _hate_ the triads. Whenever I think about them, all I can see is Shen, standing over my brother. What do you expect me to say, kehehe? I _hate _the triads and everything they represent: deceit and murder."

For a moment, a tense silence fills the helicopter, and Hazé almost wonders if he said too much. What would the ex-boss do to him? Anything? But Jin appears just as pensive as Hazé.

"Do you know of the origins of the triads, Hazé?"

Hazé shakes his head. Zhang had never told him about it, and the rest of his family were just average farmers. It wasn't until his brother's death that he even knew the criminal groups existed.

"We have some time," Sai calls over his shoulder, to which Jin nods.

"Very well, then, shall we have a short history lesson, Hazé?" he asks.

"Kehehe, you're the boss-chan," Hazé replies.

"You can drop the 'chan', Hazé. We are no longer in Japan."

"Whatever, boss-chan."

Sighing, Jin relents and begins, "The triads were not always so…criminal. Legends tell that the triads began after the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing, when the rightful rulers were overthrown by the foreign Manchu. Under the Manchu, injustices were not uncommon – a mere petty thief could receive the same punishment as a murderer. Uprisings, brought upon by this change, erupted throughout China.

"Nearly thirteen years later, a certain rebel group in Fukien forced the hand of the Manchu government. They recruited the 'Siu Lam', a group of fighting monks, to defeat the rebellion. Ultimately, the monks were successful, but their success came with a price. Seeing the monks' strength, the Manchu emperor became wary of the apparent threat. And so, they sent troops to eradicate the monks. The monks held out for a while, but the disadvantage was soon evident – eighteen bare-fisted monks against five thousand trained warriors. It would be suicide to fight back, they knew, but what choice did they have? If they surrendered, they would face destruction of everything they held dear. If they continued to fight, the monks, their family and friends, they would all face terrible deaths. With death imminent, they would rather die fighting.

"The outcome, as you may guess, was pitiful. Only five of the eighteen monks survived, and even then, just barely. The original Jin Long, Hei Wushi, Qing Long, Zhu Que, and Bai Hu monks split up soon after, for fear of capture. Yet, they never ceased fighting. They each formed a secret society, determined to one day overthrow the Manchu rulers and their oppressive reign.

"Time passed, while the power of the secret societies did not. They gained followers with the same goals. For years, the monks and their followers defended their homes, nothing more. Numerous groups sprung up, seemingly from nowhere. The White Lotus Society, the 'Cudgels', the 'Big Swords' and the 'Red Fists'. Even Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Republic of China, had a part in the making of the triads. The Jijie Clan, my—our—Family, was one of those organizations that began under the original 'Golden Dragon', Lung Kai-Jin.

"Then, finally, in the early 1900's, the Manchu Dynasty ended, overrun with corruption. However, at that point, many of the once-freedom fighters had shifted to crime – opium trade, theft, trafficking, and murder – virtually motivated by further foreign involvement.

"The fear of the original founders soon came true. Over time, they had forgotten their original purpose. With no common enemy, each triad went their own path, ultimately one that lead only into darkness. The Five Ancestors had long before disappeared with the past, and the triads were never the same."

Jin shuts his eyes, brow scrunching in deep thought. "I am the tenth boss of the Jijie Family," he states quietly. "But I am also the 24th Golden Dragon of the Jijie Clan, ancestor of Lung Kai Jin. That criminal life does not suit me – I wish only to live a normal life and protect those close to me." He gazes sharply at Hazé, whose mouth turns down in disbelief and caution.

"The underground is a terrible and bloody place," Jin continues, eyes downcast. "I understand your feelings, Hazé. After all, my own family was murdered by the very family I am a part of. And yet…that is why I can say the following with true conviction:

"I fully intend to eradicate the current Triad society."

* * *

The next few hours pass in silence, Hazé contemplating all of what Jin had said. _Eradicate the triads…is that even possible?_ he questions silently. Sure, he'd claimed that it is his own goal to that Mukuro guy, but for the ex-boss of a powerful Family to declare…well, you know. Jin must be either unnaturally brave or completely idiotic. Hazé wonders what crazy world he's gotten himself into. Glancing at the two next to him, he thinks, _Just how sane are these guys, kehehe?_

Someone taps Hazé's shoulder, and he jerks awake, not recalling when he fell asleep. Looking out the cockpit's glass, he notices that a lush green surrounds them – the olive greens of canopied leaves mixed with the tan of a bamboo brush on either side. Cicadas chirp throughout the area, their steady rhythm creating a lulling atmosphere. The sun has begun to set behind the thin coniferous trees of the snowy mountain they are on, so he figures it must be around six in the evening.

A wave of nostalgia washes through Hazé then. This copse is so similar to his and Zhang's secret hideout when they were kids. Where they went to escape work or their family. _It can't be…_he frowns.

"You comin', Hazé?" that blue-haired guy (Sai, was it?) asks. He stands with one hand on the frame, one foot impatiently ready to step out. The boss-chan must've already exited, as Hazé doesn't see him.

"Yeah," Hazé mutters. Something soft and bulky is tossed to him, and he quickly snatches it before it reaches the ground. He holds it up in front of him, and sees it's a heavy black parka. Then he notices Sai pulling on a similarly-styled navy coat. "What's this for?"

"It's cold out there, if you haven't noticed," Sai replies shortly, jerking a thumb to the snow. Hazé examines the jacket again before it morphs into a black snake. He tosses it aside, and it hisses before slithering away. "Hey—!"

"Cold? I don't _get_ cold, kehehe," Hazé cuts in. Pushing past Sai, he leaps off the raised platform of the helicopter and onto the crisp snow.

Hazé scans the area for danger and for recognition. Some part of him says that he knows the place. He can't be sure though. It has to be a coincidence.

"Is something the matter, Hazé?" Jin's calm voice asks. "You have been rather quiet." Something glints in the setting sun behind Hazé's boss-chan, and his eyes widen in surprise. He stalks past Jin, yanking the metallic object off the small mulberry tree to which it hangs from with a slat of wood.

Examining it carefully, Hazé realizes that it is a small good luck charm – a few pieces of black rope braided around two Chinese coins in a rough but intricate knot. Two names have been etched into the wooden part on either side of the block: 'Zhang' and a name Hazé'd long abandoned – Si Ge, 'Dead Song'. A weird sensation of dread and confusion hits him suddenly.

This place doesn't just _look_ like Hazé and his brother's childhood hideout; it _is_ their old hideout.

"How did you know about this place, _boss-chan_?" Hazé whispers, not looking at Jin.

"Hm? Is this place special to you?" Jin replies simply. The strange aura around Hazé doesn't seem to affect Jin at all. Then he smiles and gazes at the trees past them. "It must be, or he would not have led me here."

"'He'?" Hazé echoes, curiosity replacing the previous distrust. "What are you talking about, boss-chan? I didn't lead you here, kehehe."

"Perhaps," Jin murmurs to himself. More like in answer to someone's question. "He has the will power to."

Hazé turns to Sai, who shrugs then crosses his arm. "There isn't a 'Void' anymore," he states obscurely. "He acts like this whenever a Guardian is initiated."

"Come, Hazé, Sai," Jin says. He looks at Hazé specifically then. "As you have been here before, will you direct us to the nearby spring?"

"Whatever you say, boss-chan."

Walking past Jin, Hazé takes the lead as the path comes intuitively to him. The stony path, worn by weather, winds through the cliffs uphill. For a few minutes, as in the helicopter, they walk in complete silence, save for their boots crunching through the icy snow. Something feels off to Hazé, but he shrugs it off.

"Aren't we almost there?" Sai demands impatiently.

"Patience, Sai," Jin chastises his friend lightly.

"Yeah, shut up, Sai-chan," Hazé adds, smirking. Sai frowns, muttering "Stupid boss" to himself.

They come upon a closed, looming onyx _pailo _gate with a brass bell clanging in ominous time. In the black gates is inscribed in old Mandarin, "Upon entering these gates, proceed only if thee are loyal to the Family." _I don't remember this being here,_ thinks Hazé.

"Take off your shoes, Hazé." Said young man turns swiftly to his boss-chan with a bewildered gaze.

"Take my shoes off?" he repeats. "But won't it be—!"

"Weren't you the one who said you didn't get cold?" asks Sai smugly. Hazé frowns at Sai for a moment before smirking.

"Yeah, I did, kehehe," he says. Kneeling down, Hazé removes his boots, then gets back to his feet. "So, how do you open this?" He places a hand on the gates, and no sooner does Hazé speak, a dull click sounds, and the doors creak open slowly. But instead of revealing a continuation of the snow-filled forest, the gates expose only a blinding white light. While Hazé and Sai raise their arms to block the glare, Jin merely watches. The brilliance continues even a moment later, when the doors are completely open.

"Are you sure you wish to pursue this life, Hazé?" Jin asks. "It is not too late to turn back and leave this terrible world behind."

"Stop talking just wish me luck, boss-chan."

Jin looks at Hazé, eyes wide with surprise, but he quickly regains his composure and smiles.

"Good luck, then, Hazé."

Hazé chuckles before walking through the gates…

And finds himself in completely different place.

A monochromatic grey sky stretches overhead, a black stone path laying itself out before him over a wide pool of clear water. A light drizzle falls on either side of the path, but, somehow, not on the path. Hazé glances behind him, only to see that the gate through which he came through has disappeared.

"Guess there's no place to go but straight," he mutters. Taking a deep breath, he walks forwards across the stone path. Every so often, he glances around, but there's no one and no thing in sight.

As he continues to pace across the steppingstones, wiry silhouettes of trees come into view, merely adding to the mysterious aura of the space…until he realizes they are actually the twisted blades of _guan daos_, _jians_, _daos_, even _sais_, and numerous other arms he can't identify. A black, but not necessarily evil, presence emanates from them.

Hazé pauses and moves to touch one, until the high-pitched scream of metal bursting in the air alerts him to one of the abnormal blades closing in on him. Leaping backwards, he narrowly avoids the _jian_ that impales itself into the stone where he was standing not a second before.

"The hell is this place?!" he questions the air. His words act as a trigger, as a horde of blades rise from the dark pool and face him menacingly and following every minute movement he makes. Hazé knows what's going to follow. "Oh, sh—!"

Curse cut short, the blades rush at him, intending to run the intruder through. Hazé bolts forward on his bare feet, his half-melted _guan dao_ appearing in his hands. Ducking to a avoid a swift death, he blocks another with his own blade. Shoving it away, he continues sprinting along the stepping stones.

He's nearly out of breath when he hears the clanging of steel clashing to the stone steps behind him. Does he dare look back? Of course he does. Hazé glances over his shoulder, realizing the blades have stopped trying to attack him. Relieved, he lets out a sigh and returns his _guan dao_.

"Kehehe, that'd better be the last of it," he mutters.

* * *

Five pitfalls he had to climb out of; seven shadowy monsters that attacked him; and six barriers preventing passage later, Hazé rests hunched over and hands on his knees, out of breath.

"The hell…_is_ this place?!" he yells for the 108th time in the past hour. Or, at least he _thinks_ it's been an hour. It's kind of hard to tell when the sky is an ever-present gray.

"This is the hallowed path to succession of the Black Warrior, the Hēi wǔshì dì lùjìng," an ominous answers. Hazé hastily straightens, preparing to fight when he sees a man in his twenties staring back at him. Garbed in full black military uniform of the Qing Dynasty and holding a plated black metal helmet under his arm, the man wears his straight black hair up in a topknot with the rest resting smoothly on his back. Cold red eyes consider Hazé, who glares back unflinchingly.

"Though I was not expecting my successor to be so…inexperienced," the man continues. "How old are you, boy?"

"Kehehe, that's classified," Hazé returns, slightly insulted. Then he frowns. "You said 'my successor'. You can't be—"

"It is veritable, boy," interrupts the man. "I am Sima Jun-Ying, the first Black Warrior of the Jijie Clan, now the Jijie Family. I have overseen many a succession over the centuries, though this must be the occasion with a second guardian to be initiated. Be you the first 24th generation Warrior? Or is it merely that I am becoming senile with age? No, no, that can't be it. I'm only…"

Hazé, who has no idea what the man before him is muttering to himself, stares in slight disbelief. This man may be in a warrior's, even commander's, uniform, but his seemingly incompetency worries Hazé. What if he'll end up like that in the future?

"Hey, boy; I heard that," Jun cuts in indignantly to Hazé's thoughts. "I assume that your being here means you desire my blessing."

"Kehehe, I wouldn't put it like that, old man," Hazé states. "But yeah, I'm looking for power."

"Boy—"

"'Hazé', old man."

"'Commander Jun'," the elder corrects just as heatedly. "Introductions aside, tell me, Hazé, your reasoning for becoming a Black Warrior…"

* * *

"Guy's taking a while in there," remarks Sai offhandedly as he leans against a tree.

"You are worried, are you not, Sai?" inquires his boss. Sai immediately objects in a flustered cry. Jin chuckles lightly before looking up at the cloudy night sky.

"You're thinkin' 'bout Zhang?" Sai asks him.

"It has been a while since his death," confirms Jin. "I've nearly forgotten how lonely it once was. But now, thanks to Tsunayoshi-kun, the others, you, and Hazé, that Void is gone."

"And soon it will cease to exist at all."

Jin and Sai turn swiftly to the newcomer's arrogant voice, tensing immensely upon realizing who itit. Sai bares his teeth at the young man with a spiky silver ponytail and matching silver eyes, wearing crisp black suit, and he instinctively steps in front of his friend. At the same time, Sai pulls out his concealed twin blades, readying for an attack.

"You!" he cries furiously.

"Ah, ah, ah~. I wouldn't be so hasty, Sai," the young man reprimands smirking. Jin and Sai are about to ask why, but the duo stiffen upon hearing a wave of _clicks_ from guns all around them.

"I did not believe you would follow us all the way here," Jin states nonchalantly. Sai wonders how his boss can keep his cool in the face of imminent death. Then he notices the ponytailed boy's eyes glare at the enemy with a golden glint. "I suppose I should not put it past you, though."

The other frowns at that. "Shut up, traitorous Jin," he growls.

"How long are you willing to lie about the true traitors?" questions Jin. "How long until you finally inform your men here of the truth?"

"Heh! All of us here know who the traitors are, Jin. After all, I wasn't the one who _killed the Di Ershisan_."

"Lies!" shouts Jin, uncharacteristically losing his temper. "I never—!"

"Then prove it." Jin takes a step back unconsciously. His enemy indicates to the men surrounding the trio. "Give yourself up, and _maybe_ I'll be lenient in your trial."

"I would rather _die_ than have to prove myself to you!"

Shrugging, the silver-haired man shrugs. "Suit yourself, Jin. But I'll warn you that I don't take it easy on traitors."

"The same applies to me, Shen."

* * *

A/N: So, no reviews...That's okay, that's okay! I've been kind of busy, too, which is why this chapter is late. I'd intended to finish it last Thursday, but never got around to it. Also, it doesn't really end here - I just thought it was becoming too long.

If my OC's seem OOC, please tell me.

Anyway, did any of you know that KHR is ending soon? It's sad, but it's still an awesome series. I'll probably rewatch and reread it dozens of more times.

Something I forgot in a previous chapter: "Sai-lo" and "Dai-lo" are terms used by the Triads members and loosely mean "younger bro" and "older bro".

About the triads: I had to do a lot of research, and even then, I changed a little bit of history. Hopefully it wasn't too long.

Thanks for reading!


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